Mysterious Happenings
by azazemon
Summary: A dark force has captured the sannin and various other ninja, and returned Sasuke to Konoha after his two years away. A band of ninjas come to help fight against the threat, and sparks fly.
1. Chapter 1

**_A Shadow_**

In the lair of Orochimaru, two and half years after his last body transfer, he and his student Sasuke Uchiha were training, when they heard screaming.

"Hm." Orochimaru said, and walked outside to see the commotion.

He was staring at a large black silhouette of some monster with sharingan eyes.

Sasuke stepped out, and also stared in shock.

A smile formed under the eyes as the shadow stared at them.

"Well well well," Orochimaru said with a smile, "Seems we have an intruder in our-"

"SILENCE!" It roared, shaking the structure.

"You dare order me? I shall enjoy watching you die!" Orochimaru hissed.

From his mouth protruded his Kusanagi sword, which pierced the shadow, but it appeared to not even feel it.

"Hmph. Pitiful mortals."

"I will show you pitiful." He hissed and swung his head, slicing the shadow in half.

All that happened was that the shadow reconnected with itself, and gave another smile towards Orochimaru.

"I may have a use for you." It said.

"No one uses me." Orochimaru said angrily.

He looked down to see that the ground below him had became black as night, and was dragging him down.

"No!" He yelled, attempting to slice the shadows off, but the sword went through them.

"Nothing you do will save you now. As of today, you belong to me." 

After Orochimaru was dragged into the darkness, the shadow turned to Sasuke and said "However, I have no use for you...die."

Small, goblin shaped shadows emerged from the base of the large one and ran towards Sasuke.

He unsheathed his chokutoo sword and began to cut them all down. 

Only problem was, the ones he cut down, usually in half, rose back up, execpt there were two.

They kept on multiplying, even if he didn't cut them, they still multiplied: two became four,became eight, became sixteen.

Soon, he was overwhelmed, and the large shadow dragged him into the darkness as well.

In Konoha, Naruto and Sakura were going over their own plans of retrieving Sasuke when the sky turned black.

The same shadow appeared new the Hokage mountain, smiling down at everyone.

"Who the hell are you!" Naruto yelled at it.

"Naruto shut up!" Sakura hissed, "I don't think this is the right enemy to upset."

The shadow chuckled, "You have guts small mortal. I will be sure to squash it out of you literally."

"What's this all about?" Tsunade asked.

From the shadow emerged a severely injured Sasuke, who was thrown out of the shadow and into the crowd.

Naruto and Sakura caught him, amazed at their luck.

"Do not celebrate just yet insects." It said with a smile.

From underneath Tsunade and Jiraiya came the same darkness that grabbed Orochimaru.

"Pervy Sage!" 

"Lady Tsunade!"

Everyone attempted to help get them out of the pull, but in the end it won.

"Hey what's the big idea!" Naruto yelled.

"In time, my hotheaded insect, you will know."

It disappeared after that.

Naruto and Sakura then turned their attention to the heavily injured and unconscious Sasuke.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Unfriendly Reunion_**

A day after the shadow left, Sakura was in the hospital along with Shizune, desperately trying to heal Sasuke, who showed no signs of waking.

"I don't get it." Shizune said in exasperation, "His wounds aren't healing at all. It's like his body is repeling my chakra."

"That's exactly what it's doing." came a voice.

They both turned to see an old blind lady in a white robe walking towards them.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"That's not important right now." she said moving towards Sasuke.

Her hand hovered over him for a minute, then thin strings of black smoke rose from his body and into her hands.

"What did you-"

"I merely took the taint He left in him, which is why it was impossible to heal him."

Sasuke gave a low groan.

"Thank you, but we don't know who you are." Sakura said with a bow.

"My students call me 'Blind One,' or 'Grandma' for I've been blind since birth, but I can see everthing through chakra, and I am the only adult figure they know."

"Oh, well thank you Grandma. Where are your disciples?" Shizune asked.

There was a commotion outside as they all moved to the window.

Naruto was facing off with a bald darkskinned guy. He was wearing a baggy black ninja suit and looked to be about six feet tall. He smiled at Naruto, who returned it with a glare.

"Who are you?" Naruto growled.

"None of your business maggot." he shot back.

"What are you doing in our village?" Shikamaru asked.

"Tracking Him down." the guy answered.

"Who?"

"I know that Shadow passed through here. My friends, myself and my teacher are tracking it down before it completes its transformation."

"What transformation."

"Something you don't want to be alive to see." a female voice came from behind Naruto.

He turned to see a girl with short black hair and dark purple eyes. She wore purple kunoichi gear and was standing with her hands on her hips.

"If we let Him transform, then we're all screwed. He likes to collect ninja known and noted for their power to absorb into his dimension. When He has enough power, then He'll break his seal and unleash damnation on the stars."

"Well what is his name?" Naruto asked.

"His only name is Shadow, but He is always referred to as Him,His,He, He's nameless."

"Well then who are you?"

"Since my bro is being a jackass, I'm Sarah, and he's Shawn." Sarah said waving an impatient hand at Shawn.

"How many of you guys are here?" Shikamaru asked.

"There are supposed to be more, but both of us came with our teacher and her granddaughter because they felt His presence here." Shawn said.

"Yeah he was definetely here. He took Grandma Tsunade and Pervy Sage too." Naruto said.

Sarah looked up at the hospital ward. "Looks like Grandma and Tasha have healed your little friend."

"What!" Naruto yelled running into the hospital.

Sasuke groaned and opened his eyes to Sakura's cheery green ones.

"Glad to see you're up Sasuke!" She said cheerfully.

"Get away from me." he said coldly.

He gave another grunt of pain.

"Perhaps it's best if you don't in that tone...or at all." a girl next to him said.

She had long black hair and was wearing a white kimono with sakura flower designs at the bottom.

She held Sasuke's arm in her hand, and he snatched it away.

"Don't touch me." He sneered.

She merely looked at him, her brown eyes met his.

He turned on his sharingan in an attempt to put a genjutsu on her, but was shocked to see that she also had a complete sharingan.

"Your clan wasn't the only clan with this gift." she said with a smile.

Sasuke gave a grunt of pain and looked at his arm, which was red and bleeding.

"The shadowmites that attacked you left you with a multitude of injuries. I was trying to heal you when you snatched your arm away." she said a soft, sweet tone.

Sasuke begrudgingly held his arm out for her.

As her hand slowly moved under his arm, a blue aura glowed from his arm and moved with her hand.

She moved her hand gracefully to his armpit, then down to his ribcage. She halted right there.

"I understand that guys like to keep that area private, so I'll let it heal on its own."

Sasuke didn't answer, instead snatched his arm back.

"Sasuke!" Naruto breathed bursting through the door.

"Oh, it's you." Sasuke said apathetically.

The three of them didn't exchange words for a while.

Everyone in the room knew what was setting the mood.

It wasn't until Grandma said "I think it's time we left. Bara, finish up here dear."

"Yes Grandmama, I'll be done shortly."

"No need to rush, we could really use your help right now." Shizune said.

"Well, shall we talk about it then?" Sarah asked, feeling uneasy in the room.

"Sure, come this way." Sakura said, a little hurt from Sasuke's cold attitude.

Naruto chose to say nothing and exited the room.

"If I may be so bold as to ask what they did to earn your disdain?" Bara asked.

"None of your business."

"I know why you're upset, Sasuke Uchiha." Bara said stopping.

"Hmph. You know nothing about me."

Bara gave a little smile, the pulled down the sleeve of her kimono to show a long scar that ran the length of her arm.

"Where'd you get that?" Sasuke asked with almost no concern.

"When my sister killed our clan, I tried to kill her, I almost succeeded too."

"Well what happened?"


	3. Chapter 3

**_The Other Uchihas_**

"We weren't really called Uchiha, but that's where our sharingan came from."

"How did it escape the Konoha Uchiha clan?" Sasuke asked.

"I never really worked up the courage to ask anyone, guess I'll never get that chance now." she said with a forced smile.

"Let me guess, your sister was a prodigy?"

"And you were the one left out?" she finished.

Sasuke paused for a minute. _who is this girl?_ he thought.

"Yeah, that was her, always excelling, while I was left with the same expectations. Naturally I tried my hardest to keep up, but she was always putting milestones between us."

"Yeah, I know how that feels." Sasuke said before he stopped himself.

"Hm, I bet. I'm also betting that right now, you're about to close up and shut me out because I'm getting to close."

Annoyed at this prediction, Sasuke glared at her then turned his attention to the outside world.

Smiling to herself, Bara began to heal the scars along the back of his neck and back.

"How can you do that?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Remain so calm and caring, even though I'm being a total ass to you?"

"Why get angry at something that would cause the situation to be worse? I've been angry most of my life, and it didn't help me. Unlike Sarah, she's always yelling and irritated about something."

Sarah was walking through the hall with Shawn when she sneezed.

"Allergies?" Shawn asked.

"Must be." she answered sniffling.

"Well."

"What?"

"Are you gonna continue your story?"

"Oh, sure. Well, I remember coming home, and seeing everyone dead. I thought some sort of enemy strike team had swept through the city. I ran home as fast as I can, and saw my parents' corpses on the porch. When I was going up to inspect them, my sister walked through the door. Her eyes were brown, and soulless." She stopped.

Sasuke turned to see that she was holding herself, as though the room was suddenly ice cold.

"I remember asking her what happened, why everyone was dead. She looked at me, and the last thing I ever heard her say was 'Mangekyo Sharingan'. I don't know what she did, but, I remember standing on the road, watching everyone die, unable to move. I saw every person in the village fall to her sword. She did it without mercy, like they were enemy ninja from a totally different country. I didn't see her kill my parents, I had already passed out. I do remember her telling me, through that genjutsu 'foolish little sister, if you wish to kill me one day, then hate and despise me, that is, if you survive.' When I woke up, it was at my grandmama's house."

"Why didn't she kill your grandmother?"

"No one ever fights grandmama, she may be blind, but she can paralyze anyone in a six foot radius of her. She doesn't fight often, but she isn't a pushover."

"I still didn't want to believe her, so, I went back to the village, searching for everyone. It took some time for me to finally realize that they were all gone."

She stopped healing him for a minute and looked as though she was holding back tears.

She closed her eyes and continued.

"Anyway, I did want revenge, I did want to kill her, but, they turned me away from it...for a time. She returned, of course, and we fought. I almost won, I just forgot about her mangekyo sharingan, and looked into her eyes. After that, I didn't want anything more to do with her."

"Why not? Why not kill her to avenge your family?"

"Because she is family, even if she slaughtered the rest, she is my sister. I know she would kill me, but I couldn't kill her. If I did, then would that make me any better than her. I would become the person I've been trying to kill. Don't worry though, I'm not telling you that trying to kill Itachi is wrong, but to trust Orochimaru to do it."

"He offered me power, and that's what I need."

"Weren't you worried that he would switch bodies with you?"

"So...you know about that too?"

"I'm only 16, but I'm kind of a genius in my generation." she said with a small smile.

She stood up and said briskly "Well, that's all of them for now. I'll have to come back in about two hours to do it again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, you spent some time inside of Him, so my medical techniques need to be repeatedly administered to fully heal the wounds."

She opened the door and stopped.

"Sasuke, one more thing," she said in a somewhat sad tone, "Even though you have so much loss in your heart, you can let the kindness of others help you through it, that's the reason why people go so far for you."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Abilities_**

The next day, at training ground 3, the village gathered to watch what their new visitors were doing.

"Today, my students, we shall do a survival exercise. The one who survives the longest gets free ramen." Grandma said.

"Hey! I want in on this!" Naruto yelled happily.

"Then come join us."

Naruto jumped in and stood next to Shawn.

"Ready...Begin!"

Human shaped wood clones jumped from the ground and the trees and ran towards them all. The wood clones began to take the shape of ninja dressed in all black gear.

As the ninja closed in on them, Naruto looked around at his rivals, with shock.

Shawn's entire left arm was covered in bones, like kimimaro.

Sarah had three daggers in each hand, and Bara just stood there with a smile on her face.

Naruto wondered if she knew that the match started.

One of the ninja clones launched its foot at her face.

She quickly caught the guy's foot with her right hand, then punched it in the face swiftly.

The clone flew back, and Bara got into a Bajiquan stance. The clones that approached her were dispatched of quickly. 

Naruto turned to see that Sarah and Shawn had charged into the horde and were blowing them away.

"Shadow clone Jutsu!"

The five Narutos ran to join the battle.

Soon, clones from the water began to join the fight, and Sarah was knocked out. Shawn was out a while after that, which left Naruto and Bara.

"Tiebraker match!" Grandma said.

They both faced each other, and Bara activated her Sharingan.

This caused shock from everyone, who thought only Itachi, Sasuke and Kakashi had it.

"I don't like fighting girls, but this is for Ramen!" Naruto yelled.

"Then let us begin." Bara said taking a bow.

"Begin!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Fire Style: Lava Fissure Stomp!"

Bara stomped on the ground and five lines of fire shot from her foot and got three clones.

Naruto and his clone were up in the air, preparing a Rasengan.

He dove down for Bara.

She smiled, and held one finger out.

His rasengan met her finger, and disappeared.

"Wha-"

"Secret Ninja art: Invisible Barrage!"

A series of punches from nowhere came and pulverized Naruto.

"Where did these jutsu come from?" Kakashi asked out loud.

"Bara has always been a student that came up with incredible jutsu." Grandma said proudly.

Naruto rose slowly and wiped some blood from his mouth.

"You won't get a chance to use that on me again." He said smiling.

"Okay." she said returning a smile.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The clones surrounded her.

"Let's finish this!" He said.

As the clones leapt for her, she knocked them away, quickly and with lots of power. Her white-pink kimono flowing as she struck, dodged, and parried.

Naruto tried once again with his rasengan, and with one finger she stopped it again.

"It's over." she said with a smile.

"Mountain Style: Atmospheric Concussion!"

Naruto was blasted thirty feet back, and didn't move.

"Winner!" Grandma said.

Bara then ran to Naruto, put her hand on his forehead, and he awoke.

"What happened?"

"You lost." Shikamaru said.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Special Gift_**

That night, Sasuke got on his clothes and slipped out the hospital window.

He only got about two steps when Bara showed up and blocked his path.

"Where do you think you're going?" she said with a smile.

"Out of here." he answered.

"Okay, you can go...If you can beat me."

Back at the ramen shop...

"Hey Grandma?" Naruto said in between bowls.

"Yes dear?" she answered sipping her tea.

"How was Bara able to stop my Rasengan with one finger?"

Grandma smiled at this question.

"Because she is special."  
XXXXX

Sasuke charged his sword with electricity and lunged for her.

He hadn't even moved when she drop kicked him.

He turned on his sharingan, but she had already done that.  
XXXXX

"What do you mean special?" Sakura asked.

"It's true she is a medical ninja, but she is a rare born ninja."

"In what way?"

"She was able to stop your rasengan by disrupting all chakra flow in your body, temporarily."

"How?"

"Even I don't know, she can do it with a finger, or radiate it from herself to keep anyone from touching her with a jutsu."  
XXXXX

Sasuke did the chidori current and blasted her back.

She flipped in mid-air and leapt at him.

She merely touched his chest and the current vanished.

Sasuke was dumbstruck as he tried it again, but to no avail.  
XXXXX

"Also," Grandma continued sipping her tea, "she has been able to come up with a variety of jutsu through her nature walks, as I am sure you know Naruto."  
XXXXX

"Come now Sasuke! I know you can do better than that!" She taunted.

Irritated and annoyed, Sasuke quickly got behind her for a strike, but she ended up behind him.

She grabbed his collar and threw him over her shoulder.

"Maybe that's all you can do." she sighed.  
XXXXX

"However, physically she isn't very strong." Grandma said.

"She makes up for this by manipulating your body to go with it." she continued.

"Is that how she was beating all the clones down that fast?" Sakura asked.

"Precisely."  
XXXXX

"Come on! An ex-konoha ninja under the tutelage of a sannin can't even beat a girl in a dress!"

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Sasuke yelled charging for her.

Bara quickly dodged his sword and wrapped an arm around his neck.

She was close enough to kiss him when she grabbed his arm and threw him around her, taking his chokuto in the process.

She stuck his sword into the roof and taunted, "Looks like I got your big stick buddy."  
XXXXX

"She is also incredibly fast physically and mentally." Grandma commented.

"Yeah, I saw her speed when she took down the clones." Naruto said.

"Her I.Q. is 459 at the moment."

"WHAT!!" Sakura and Naruto said in unison.

"SHE'S A FUCKING GENIUS!" Naruto yelled.

"Which is why she has been able to come up with such interesting jutsu." Grandma said with a smile.  
XXXXXX

"Fire Style: Fire ball Jutsu!" Sasuke roared.

"Wind Style: Cyclone Hammer!" Bara roared.

As Sasuke spit fire from his mouth, Bara waved her hand and a large vortice of wind cancelled out his fireball and knocked Sasuke off the roof.

Bara quickly grabbed his arm and threw him back on the roof.

"You don't really think that I'll let you go that easily."

"I don't have time for this."

"I do."  
XXXXXX

"So what, is she like, stronger than Sasuke or Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked.

"She's twice as strong as your friend Sasuke, and she could do fairly well against a Sannin."  
XXXXX

Sasuke fell to his knees in exhaustion, his wounds haven't completely healed.

"Now to finish this." she said to a now immobile Sasuke.

"Hidden Ninja Art," the flowers on her kimono began to move "Petal Barrage!"

The flowers on her Kimono flew off her dress, smashed into Sasuke, swirled around him, then repeatedly smashed into him until he lost consciousness.

Bara walked over to his unconscious form, kneeled by him, and removed his hair from his eyes.  
XXXX

"She does have one weakness. If she has no chakra, or begins to run low on it, then she cannot do the things you saw her do, for as she attacks her opponents, she also drains some of their chakra in order to keep that from happening."


	6. Chapter 6

**_The Odd Pairings_**

Sasuke awoke again in the hospital and a flashback of last night's events caused him to sit up, but in pain.

"Sorry about last night." Bara said sitting in a chair next to him.

Sasuke gave her a cold stare and attpempted to get out of bed, but he couldn't really move.

"Um, I guess I put too much juice in that move." she said smiling.

"Stop smiling and get the hell away from me!" Sasuke yelled.

"Why are you so angry all the time?" she asked without a smile.

"Because everytime I turn around I'm fighting someone stronger than me!" he shot back.

She wasn't smiling at all. "I know that feeling."

"No you don't!"

"Really? Then why, my high blood pressured friend, do you think I made myself rise to this much power? Sure as hell wasn't for the hell of it. I did it because I was tired of being looked down at by everyone else."

"Well I don't see how that helps me." Sasuke said.

"Alright then," she said positioning her chair to face him,"Let me ask you this, did you feel stronger protecting other people rather than yourself?"

"I don't want to answer that question."

"Either you cooperate, or I make it to where you won't be using any jutsu for a year!" she said; she wasn't smiling.

"What's the point of this anyway!"

"To make you see where it is you fail at your 'power.' Now, answer the question."

"Myself."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"I'm a girl, I can tell when you're lying. Guys aren't good at hiding it, especially emotionally scarred ones like yourself."

"So?"

"Sasuke, why do you try block me out?"

"Because you don't know!"

"Don't know what? Solitude? Loss? Betrayal? Weakness? I've felt these things and I'm still feeling it!"

"No you're not! If you were, then you'd be in the same state I'm in!"

"No, you chose to become the lone wolf. I chose to be with people. Just because I don't take the path of the avenger doesn't mean that I don't know how if feels to be one! Why she left me alive, I have no clue! There are days when I wished she would've killed me like she did them! But she didn't! I live with the same grief you do because of Itachi!"

The room was silent for a while.

"So what, is this the part when you start crying your eyes out?" Sasuke sneered.

With tears in her eyes, Bara walked up to Sasuke, planted a kiss on his lips, and ran out the door.

Sasuke was shocked.  
XXXXX

Sakura was walking Shawn around the village.

"Pretty nice set-up you guys got here." he said admiring the village.

"Thanks." Sakura said cheerfully. "We're real lucky you guys showed up to heal Sasuke."

"Yeah. That guy seems like he doesn't want to be around you guys at all."

"Yeah I know." Sakura said sadly.

"Don't see why, you're very pretty." Shawn said.

Sakura blushed at this and said, "Oh...thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"So, Shawn, how are you able to-"

"Make the bones come out? Simple, I'm a lab rat."

"What?"

"They injected my mom with all kinds of blood samples when she was pregnant with me. Made me into a Freak of Nature."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Sharingan, Byakugan, Mokuton, the skeleton blood trait, yeah, I'm kinda a abomination."

"It doesn't mean that. It just means that you're a good person to have around whenever there's trouble."

"Yeah, that's what they tried to have me do. I was supposed to become the next host for that jackass Orochimaru, but my mom got me and my sis out before anything else could happen."

"Is that how you guys met Grandma?"

"Yeah, she's an old friend of our mother's. They killed her after they found out that she gave us to grandma."

"Oh...sorry to hear that."

"It's alright; I barely knew her to begin with, so it doesn't really bother me."  
XXXX

Grandma was walking around the market with Hinata, picking out food to cook later on that day.

They heard Naruto running by and Grandma noticed Hinata stopped and blushed at him.

"You like him?" she asked.

"Oh, um, well..." Hinata said blushing.

"If you do, you should tell him."

"Um...well."

"Don't rush yourself. Do it when you feel it's right. Now, I can't really tell if these potatoes are good enough."  
XXXXX

That night, Sasuke laid in his bed, his mind jumbled with thoughts about killing Itachi, as well as the kiss.

For some reason, he wanted to go find her and return it.

_No I can't! _he thought angrily _I have to go kill Itachi. I can't afford to stop now._

_How do you know that he hasn't already been caught by that thing. If he has, then your pupose is basically fulfilled. Live for once damn it! There's a girl who is actually in the same boat as you. Take a chance and go find her!_

He kept telling himself that he shouldn't, through putting on his clothes, walking down the hall, and walking into the village.

He found her leaning on a wall, with her face in her hands, still crying a little.

She looked up when he was walking up to her.

"Come to do more damage?" she said in between sobs.

He walked up to her a planted a kiss on her lips.

Now it was her turn to be shocked.

_Wait a minute! What the Hell just happened here!?_ she asked herself.

Sasuke leaned in again for another kiss, and she sped it up by pulling him closer.

The kiss lasted for a good ten seconds before they parted.

_Okay, I just kissed a jackass...what a day_ she thought.

Why-" she started but he put his finger to her lips.

"Cause you're just like me." _Less talk more kiss_ he thought.

_If Itachi is gone, thanks to that thing, then maybe I should start over, at least with her._


	7. Chapter 7

**_Internal Conflicts_**

Now I bet you are all wondering what going on within the heads of our two lovers during their little kiss...and here it is!

Sasuke's mind:

_What the hell am I doing? _

**_Um...starting over._**

_I can't. I still haven't killed him yet._

**_Judging from the nature of this Shadow's way of taking ninjas, along with the fact that it does possess a sharingan, does that not mean that it already caught and killed Itachi?_**

_There are other sharingan users._

**_Really? Like who...You? Her? Kakashi? You three are alive, he's still unaccounted for._**

_What if he's not dead?_

**_What if he is? haha touche._**

_What if he isn't? I need to train so I can kill him._

**_You couldn't even beat this girl, who goes to your mouth in height! What makes you think you stand a chance against him?_**

_You're not helping._

**_Not supposed to. I"m the part of you that wants to actually LIVE!!_**

_I am living. I live to kill him._

**_Oh, then your life is over. Why? Because his is too._**

_We can't be sure of that._

**_Unless the powers that be bring Itachi back to this village to whup your ass again, he's gone, get over it and continue to smooch._**

_I don't want to settle down._

**_Okay then, kill off the sharingan why don't you. Selfish prick!_**

_If you're a different side of me why are you calling me names?_

**_Not sure, makes you listen like now._**

_Well what if I refuse to listen?_

**_That's the beauty of being inside your head...You can't ignore me forever!!_**

_I have been so far._

**_Yeah, and you acquired enough power to be beaten by a girl! That's quite a feat._**

_So what? You're suggesting I should just give up and start a family._

**_Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Who said anything about a family? Let's start stuff off with kisses and hugs, then work your way up...slowly. You're like 17, you got plenty of time. Don't waste it._**

_Getting power to kill my brother isn't wasting time._

**_Need I play the 'gain power to get an ass whuppin from a girl' card again? Face it, the lone wolf act isn't helping. Your sensei's dead, so is your crackpot brother. Things are changing, so should you._**

_But I don't want-_

**_Look...try if for a while to see how if plays out. If you go with her, and god forbids he returns...again...and beats the living hell out of you, then go search for power. Until then... start buyin roses and dinner by the beach. Be happy dammit!_**

In Bara's mind:

_Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh crap...I just kissed him!_

_Did I like it? _

_I can't tell!_

_I want to do it again...is that normal?_

_My God he's hot!_

_But he's an ass!_

_A sweet ass!_

_He does have a sweet ass though..._

_But he gives me those cold gazes..._

_He does have pretty eyes..._

_Just want to stare at em all day. _

_But that would be just plain creepy..._

_He's pinned me against the wall though..._

_Oooh, nice abs._

_Dammit girl stop focusing on the physical!..._

_But he's so physically hot!_

_Okay...personality traits._

_He's cold, yet warm, sweet yet sour, lonely yet...hot...yeah, that's physical._

_Back to mental...scarred past, like me...there's a connection!_

_The question is...where is he headed._

_If he touches my kimono that's the wrong...well..._

_Getting back to the point...never knew a kiss did this much thinking._

_Moving along...oh what the hell he's hot!_

_No! I cannot base my relationships on the physical yummyness..._

_though it is one of the driving states._

_Remember what grandmama said 'look inward, beyond the veil'_

_I'd sure like to see beyond those veils..._

_Dammit!_

_Why is he so damn attractive!_

_Why couldn't he be like Naruto? At least then I'd really have to consider personality. (_Somewhere Naruto sneezes)

_Okay...maybe one more kiss...then I'll know for sure!!_

Over this five seconds of thought, (or five minutes of reading.) they leaned in once more for a kiss, and now having another mental meltdown.

In Sasuke's mind:

_Okay so I just kissed her again...what now?_

**_What d'ya mean 'what now'? Keep going you moron!_**

_I should be training the get stronger, not training for a romantic play!_

**_Well, times change! Get with the program kid. _**

_Nothing has changed, he may still be out there getting stronger, while I'm here kissing this girl!_

**_Well, think of it this way. She's about three times stronger than you. Would you rather her be an enemy?_**

_...twice as strong, and maybe..._

**_You're killin' me here. Come on! You should be glad that a girl is into you! Some one who understands you... Literally! Or are the cooties giving you the creeps?_**

_She doesn't understand...she justs..._

**_Don't kid yourself. The only reason that you don't think she understands is because you're a self-absorbed prick! You're so absorbed in your self-pity, you don't see that someone else has seen the same things. Long story short, She understands you, you know it, now get over your denial, give in to passion and desire, and get on with your hopefully better life!!_**

He gave an irritated grunt and pressed her against the wall.

_OMG is he getting rough? Mmm.._

_Where the hell is all this arousement coming from?_

_My god I wish he'd stop kissing me...HA!_

_Where's Sarah or Shawn when you need an awkward moment? _(Sarah and Shawn both sneeze and look at each other in confusion.)

_His body is pressed up against mine...I LOVE IT!!_

_Wait...no I don't...I do...I don't...I shouldn't...but I do!_

_Why is he the only guy who can do this to me?_

_Maybe if I put my hand down there he'll stop..._

_No...I'm pretty sure the situation'll escalate..._

_Maybe his chest..._

_But I'll get carried away and still find my hand down there...odd._

_Oh...why won't he stop?_

_Why won't I stop?_

_Why doesn't fate choose this time to make something happen? Bird poo? Stray Barking Dog? Enemy Ninja? Shawn/Sarah moment? _(another sneeze)

_Gawd he's so friggin hot I hate it! then I love it!_

_I wonder how long it took for him to put on those clothes?_

_Is he aware that I'm crying?_

_Is he aware that I'm mentally babbling?_

_Is he aware but doesn't care?_

_Should I just shut up?_

_Nah._

_Keeps my hands occupied._

_Besides that other way..._

_Okay screw it!_

_I'm just gonna wrap my arms around his neck, and call it a day..._

_I better not feel anything poke my leg or something..._

_If I do...it better be his sword...the metal one...on his back!_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Mental Exercise: Anger_**

Grandma called for everyone to meet her at the Ramen shop.

When everyone arrived, she emerged from the shop with a cup of tea.

"Okay everyone, today we shall all have a mental exercise."

"Are we gonna sit around meditating or something?" Neji asked.

Grandma just smiled, and slowly waved her hand.

Everyone felt an invisible wave slam into them, then nothing.

They all awoke in a sort of transparent castle, with pathways going...everywhere.

"Where are we?" Naruto yelled.

"In the Astral Plane." Grandma's voice said.

"In this mental exercise, you all must work together to get through those black voids in your soul."

"So...how will these problems present themselves?" Sakura asked.

"They will manifest themselves in the form of large beasts. The emotions that you all feel feed them, anger, hate, despair, sadness, all those emotions put together is what makes these apparitions so powerful. Know this...NONE of you can beat these things by yourselves. Feel free to try, but you will only be defeated. After you beat each one, they will drop a key, that you will need to open the final door and face all of your troubles put together. Now...begin!"

Their pathways were narrowed to one that led to a large room.

There were purple lights that spawned little imp demons.

As both parties met, the imps were knocked away.

When everyone (this is all the former 9 genin, including Bara, Sarah and Shawn) entered the large chamber, the doors on either side slammed shut. There was a pillar of light, followed by the small purple lights. From the pillar emerged a large Minotaur with fire around it.

"What is that supposed to be?" Rock Lee asked.

"I see fire, must be anger..."Sarah said,"or hate."

The imps attacked first, yet when defeated another one took their place.

The minotaur charged.

Everyone moved.

Neji and Hinata activated their byakugan, Bara and Sasuke, the sharingan, and Shawn did both.

"This is bad." Neji said.

"What?"

"It has no chakra points." Hinata said.

"This isn't a physical being...purely mental." Grandma's voice rang.

The minotaur roared and charged at them again.

"Wind Style: Dancing Blades!" Sarah yelled.

A whirlwind appeared around the minotaur as invisible blades sliced at it.

It roared in pain then turned its attention towards Sarah.

"Oh..crap..." she said.

It charged at her, and Shawn, left arm a giant spiked stick, stabbed at it, but was blasted back.

"What the-"

"Anger is impervious to physical attacks I guess." Sarah said dodging it.

"Then how did wind hurt it?" Naruto asked.

"Wind is a calm element...passive and soothing. It's like the opposite of fire almost." Shikamaru said.

"Okay, let's try using wind more then. Who else uses wind jutsu?"

"I do." Bara chimed.

"Okay...everyone try to keep it off them while they take it down."

The Minotaur, not paying attention, was staring at the wall (it's pretty stupid), until Neji, Kiba and Naruto rammed it.

Their clothes were ablaze for a moment.

"Okay...so we definetely can't touch it." Kiba deduced.

Bara and Shikamaru noticed how the flames were momentarily absent.

"Sarah," she said, "Let's get rid of those flames."

"Sure why not? I'm feeling alittle hot anyway."

"Wind Style: Hurricane Wave!" Sarah yelled.

"Wind Style: Cloud's Flight!" Bara yelled.

A burst of wind shook the chamber, knocking everyone off their feet and causing the minotaur to stagger.

The flames were off, the minotaur noticed this a bit too late.

"NOW!" Shikamaru yelled.

Naruto was first,"Rasengan!"

Sasuke next, "Chidori!"

Kiba, "Fang over Fang!"

Choji, "Mega Palm Thrust"

Neji, "Eight Trigams Air Palm"

Rock Lee, "Leaf Whirlwind!"

The minotaur flew back into a wall, and rose up, with minor injuries.

"What? After all that it's still able to stand!" Ino said with shock.

"You all have alot of anger...it'll take more than that do defeat this one." Grandma reminded them.

"The Hell! Ready guys?" Shawn said.

"Been." Sarah and Bara said with smiles.

"I'll go first, then you Sarah, and finally Bara."

"Okay."

"Gotcha."

The minotaur was rising from the rubble when Shawn yelled ,"Death Grip Jutsu!"

A giant black hand shot up from the ground and grabbed the Minotaur.

It struggled to get free, but that only made the hand squeeze tighter.

"Sarah!"

"Right! Asphyxiating breeze!"

"Hold your breaths!" Sarah yelled as a gust of suffocating wind roared past her.

When it hit the minotaur, whose mouth was wide open from the roaring, it was silent, now struggling to breath and get free.

"Okay Bara!"

Bara's hand began to glow with a yellow aura.

She sped past everyone leaving a fault in the floor.

She jumped and was about to hit the stuggling creature when she remembered something.

The aura disappeared and she landed right in front of it's face.

She hugged it's neck, and it vanished, leaving behind a red key.

Everyone was too stunned to speak.

"How do- what the-" Naruto babbled.

"I remember what Grandmama told me to stop my anger, hug something. It's so simple."

"It actually is when you think about it. I just never thought it would work against that." Shikamaru said.

"Ah...that is the fault of assumption." Grandma's voice rang.

"Okay, let's go get the other keys!" Naruto said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**To all my readers...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!LEAVE ME SOME REVIEWS!!please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Hanone Uchiha_**

Their new fighting plan, using opposite emotions to combat the apparitions, worked well, even Sasuke was pitching in (he had no choice, literally.)

With the last of the keys in their possession the came upon a large door.

They inserted the keys and walked inside.

They all found themselves inside a giant colosseum.

Before them was a large black portal.

"What the hell is that?" Shawn asked.

"That...is your final opponent. Though I said it would be all your fears put together, this last enemy will be picked by random of one person's symbol of suffering. I hope you are all ready." Grandma said.

Naruto pictured the Kyuubi emerging from the hole.

Sasuke pictured Itachi, soulless glare looking dead at him.

Shawn pictured Orochimaru, grinning and licking himself with that long...disgusting tongue.

The person who emerged had a menacing pair of sharingan eyes.

Sasuke put his hand on his chokuto, thinking it was Itachi, but upon further inspection saw that...it was a girl!

She looked alot like Itachi, except for her obvious feminine appearance. She was wearing ANBU gear, and her gaze fell upon Bara.

Sasuke turned to look at Bara, who's sharingan was active, her once soft eyes blazing with anger.

"You." she breathed,"why you?"

"Hmph. Foolish little sister. I pity how weak you've become."

"I'M NOT WEAK YOU CONCEITED LITTLE BITCH!" Bara yelled charging towards her.

"BARA STOP!" Sarah yelled running after her.

Neji saw the woman get her sword ready, and quickly yelled, "Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"

The woman was knocked back, but caught herself in mid air.

"Who is this lady?" Naruto asked.

"My name...is Hanone Uchiha. That wretched excuse for a life," she said pointing at Bara, being held back through the efforts of Sarah, but mostly Shawn,"is my little sister Bara Uchiha. I killed our village, merely because I felt like it." she smiled after this last sister.

Sasuke found himself remembering all the things Itachi did and said to him.

"You Bitch!" Naruto yelled charging for her.

"Might as well." Rock Lee said joining the fight.

Chuckling softly, Hanone said, "Come little kitties so I may wipe the floor with you."

As everyone attacked, she dodged their moves with ease.

_I can see speed runs in their family._ Sasuke said.

She dodged everyone, then did an incredible combination of handsigns before uttering, "Fire Style: Rolling Flames!"

A sheet of fire was launched at everyone, but before it hit them it disapperated.

Bara and Sarah stood in front of her, fighting positions.

Hanone narrowed her eyes, and Shawn appeared right behind her.

He attempted to stab her with a bone, but she moved out the way and pushed him forward, "Ah, I knew one was missing."

"Seems it's time for a trip down memory lane..." Hanone said closing her eyes.

Sasuke and Bara knew what she was about to do, but when she opened her eyes again, they were still caught.

_How?_ she thought as the colors of her world changed and became black and red.

She was once again on the streets of her village when the massacre began.

Everyone rose, but couldn't move.

Shuriken began to fly as they saw Hanone slaughtering everyone, a cold look in her eyes and an insane smile.

Sasuke looked around to see Bara, kneeling on the ground, hugging herself and crying softly.

He tried to move towards her, but the effects of Tsukuyomi kept him still.

The scene changed, and everyone was at least able to move a couple of steps.

They all saw Bara's parents walking outside, smiles on their faces.

Bara looked up and saw them, then they all saw Hanone appear right behind them, sword positioned.

"MOM! DAD! NO!" Bara yelled running towards them.

Hanone's sword descended, and the smile on her parents' faces disappeared, replaced with shock as the both fell to the ground and didn't move.

"NOOOO!" she yelled running up to their corpses, tears streaming down her face.

The genjutsu ended, and their bodies disappeared.

Bara sat there, eyes closed, holding herself.

She didn't notice Hanone charging towards her.

Hanone's sword was blocked by Sasuke, his sharingan blazing in anger.

Hanone looked up to see Sakura charging down towards her.

She jumped back as Sakura's fist smashed into the ground.

She slid back alittle, then saw Naruto running towards her with Rasengan.

She jumped in the air, narrowly escaping it.

Naruto flashed a quick smile, and Hanone realized what happened.

"Fang over Fang!"

Kiba and Akamaru pulverized her with their jutsu.

Hanone fell to the ground, heavily wounded.

When she tried to move, she found she couldn't, Shikamaru's shadow possession immobilized her.

Naruto ran towards her and hit her with the rasengan.

She gave a scream of pain and vanished.

The colosseum began to ripple as they were transported back to their world.

Everyone looked around to make sure they were actually in Konoha.

"whoa...that was..." Sakura said.

She looked around for Bara, and saw her slowly walking away.

She was making her way to her when Shizune ran up saying, "Sakura, Naruto, come with me."

Though wanted to comfort her, the ran after Shizune, it sounded urgent.

Bara sat in one of the trees of the forest, her mind still rattling with the after effect of that Tsukuyomi.

"Mind if I join you?" she heard someone ask.

She looked at an adjacent branch to see Sasuke sitting there looking at her.  
XXXXX

**REVIEWS PLEASE!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Two Sides_**

Sasuke sat on the branch, watching her, taking in everything he observed from her.

She was strong, powerful, yet, compared to her sister, she was nothing.

Bara closed her eyes, still hugging herself.

_I guess I should say something._

"Why do you sit there and cry?"

She looked up at him.

Her eyes showed no happiness, only loss.

She didn't answer, instead she jumped off the branch and started to walk.

She looked up to see him staring her in the face.

"I thought you don't get angry."

She gave him another blank stare,and he could almost feel what she was going through.

He wanted to hug her, but it went against everything he stood for.

"Because," she began,"It still hurts to sit there and watch them all die,and not be able to do anything about it. I hate her, I know I do. I know deep down inside I would kill her if the chance ever presented itself. Got strong enough to defeat her the same way she defeated me."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because killing her makes me no better. That's what holds me back. That and my friends."

"I broke my bonds with them a long time ago." Sasuke said.

"I don't see why. I feel stronger around them, rather when I'm by myself."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"What?"

"Hug yourself."

"Because, whenever things like happen, no one's there for me to do it to, so I do it to myself. Helps take away some of the pain."

"Funny."

"What."

"I thought I was the only one who use to feel that way."

"You don't anymore?"

"No, not anymore."

"Oh. Maybe you should try it, it might actually help."

"I'm not interes-"

Smiling a little she interrupted him by giving him a hug.

"What are you-"

"This is a hug. Feels nice doesn't it?"

Sasuke looked at her for a moment.

Her gaze fell somewhere else, yet he continued to ponder his hesitation.

_What's keeping me from pushing her off and walking away_? he thought.

He closed his eyes in frustration.

_Just walk away_. He thought.

His arms, however, had already returned the hug.

_What is it with this girl_? He thought to himself_. Why can't I ever get away from her when stuff like this happens_.

She stopped after and while and with a smile asked, "There, that wasn't so bad was it?"

He wanted to say "yes it was!" to glare at her and walk away.

Instead he looked away and said, "No, not really."

"I know what you're thinking." she said in a melancholy tone.

"What?"

"Why can't I stop doing this? Why can't I walk away? Why can't I tell her to get off me and go away?"

Sasuke stared at her now. "So you're psychic now?" he asked sarcastically.

"No silly, I ask myself the same questions."

"And what were your answers?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, because I don't think about it. It'll come to me eventually."

She smiled again.

"How can you be so happy?" he asked her.

"I don't know, I like to be optimistic about things."

"What's so good about your situation now?"

"Let's put both of ours together then." she said raising an eyebrow. "We hate our siblings because they killed our families. If what they both did never happened, then neither of us would probably be at the level of power we're at now."

She started to pace back in forth, thinking.

He noticed that her kimono was loose and flowed behind her.

"Why do you wear that when you fight?" He then asked her.

"Oh this? This whole kimono is a weapon." she said holding out her arm and showing him the flowers that pulverized him two days ago.

"That jutsu you used on me the other night, how does it work?"

"Oh, the petal barrage?" she said looking at the flowers on her kimono. "It's a genjutsu ninjutsu combination I made up, since I don't carry ninja tools with me, I use the designs on my clothes as tools to attack, usually as a finisher."

She looked up now.

It was night time and a full moon at that.

Sasuke also looked up and noticed how calm the night is.

"Sometimes I'll come outside and just stare at the stars all day." she said.

Sasuke's arm throbbed and he grabbed at it.

Bara snapped out of her trance and ran over to help him.

"Guess it's time for another healing session. Let's go." she told him.  
XXXXXXX

**LEAVE REVIEWS!!PLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**_To Gain Power_**

Sasuke's next healing session was with Grandma.

_How this blind lady'll heal me is beyond me._ he thought.

"You can stay seated." she said when she walked in, "I'm here for mental health."

"There's nothing wrong with me mentally."

"No, there isn't. But, if we are to beat Him, then we must ALL trust each other, this includes you. I'm here to prod and poke around and see what it is your hatred thrives on."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"Well, half of my work is already done."

"What?" Sasuke asked with raised eyebrows.

"I already know the...connection you and my granddaughter have." she answered with a smile.

"What connection?"

"Oh don't give me that I can see through your lies like a glass window. I also know about you and your brother, in comparison with her and her sister."

"What would that be?"

"I deduce that your quest for power is fueled by the desire to kill your brother. At first it was, then it wasn't, until he returned and rekindled that surging hatred. You believed you weren't gaining power, while Naruto surpassed you in everything you do, so you left to join Orochimaru, which he did give you a good amount of skill. Though, I guess it didn't seem that way when you fought her did it?" she said with a smile.

Now Sasuke was getting suspicious. "Have you been watching us?"

"No, but there are many things that these blind eyes witness." she said cryptically.

"I don't get it. I've gotten stronger, yet I was beaten again, by a girl!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. The moves she learned greatly outclassed your own."

"How?"

"Because dear boy, I taught her those moves, therefore I should know their power."

"Can you teach me any of these moves?"

"In your current mind frame no." she said simply.

Irritated, Sasuke asked, "Why not?"

"Because dear boy, the jutsu I taught her can only be used for the good of others, not anger. She was able to use it on you because she was concerned about your physical condition. There wasn't a trace of anger in her if she was able to do it."

"Then I don't want to learn anything from you." he sneered.

She gave a small chuckle. "Yes you do. I feel your desire for that kind of power emanating from your very being. You hunger for power, like she used to."

"She used to?"

"Oh yes...I remember about three years ago she was just like you; cold, distant, wanting nothing but power and revenge to kill Hanone. It wasn't until I showed her what type of power she could wield if she let it all go did she try to kill her sister. It always ended with her coming close, then being defeated. When she finally listened to me, and Hanone showed up again, she was able to beat her."

"Didn't seem that way in that psychic exercise."

"That's because she wants nothing more to do with her sister."

"Well I still want to kill my brother."

"Ah yes, your 'bond of hatred.' I know all about that. Bonds can also serve another purpose besides the darkness you give them."

"The reason why I suffer is because of those bonds I had with my family before he slaughtered them!" Sasuke yelled.

"True, with attachment does come despair when it leaves. That is why you make other attachments to keep yourself up. One string of bond can be enough to heal any pain in your heart my dear."

Sasuke scoffed at the idea.

"Oh, ridicule my idea if you want, but know that I am correct, and she is my proof. When I turned her into the smiling pacifist you see now, she came up to me telling me she's never felt so powerful. At the same time, her thoughts about revenge vanished, even when she narrowly beat Hanone, her choice to be caring to others stayed with her."

"Your point?"

"Continue this path, and you shall not find the happiness you want at its end."

"I don't care about happiness."

"Yes you do, because you will be happy if you kill Itachi."

Sasuke glared at her for a moment. "So what? Do you plan to make me as pathetically happy as she is?"

"She is not pathetic, nor is she happy. And no, I don't. I'm here to rekindly your trust in your fellow leaf shinobi."

"What do you mean she's not happy? She smiles every two seconds."

Grandma raised an eyebrow. "Oh-hoh."

"What."

"So you do have feelings for her."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do, here's how I know. I merely said she's not happy, then changed the subject to the konoha ninja. Had you been as cold as you'd wish, you would have went with the subject and not asked about her. That is showing cocern."

"No I'm not. She's been smiling since I met her. I found it strange that you'd say that."

"I see." she said with a disbelieving smile.

"What're you smiling about?"

"Because I know you like her."

"No I don't."

"Sasuke, I saw you two kissing outside that night, as well as when you were embracing each other in the forest last night. Admit it."

_She sounds like that voice in my head._ he thought.

"I don't like her and that's that!" he yelled.

"Why do you find it so hard to admit to yourself that you do?"

"Because-"

"Is it because you are fearful of forming a bond with this girl, only to know that she one day passes on and leaves you like your family?"

Sasuke froze and looked at her again.

In the back of his mind, that was the answer.

"But, how did you?"

"Dear child remember, she was just like you. She being female, I know I could stray her from that path. With you, I think you would find power easier to gain if you had at least one person in your life that understood everything that was wrong with you."

She got up to leave.

As she walked to the door, she turned back to him and said, "I will leave you with this offer though. Think about what I've said and weigh it in your mind. If you choose her over your vengeance, come back to me."

She hurried out the door and Sasuke heard her footsteps down the hall.

Without thinking, he jumped out of bed, put on his pants and shoes, and ran out the door.

It was night time when he left the hospital.

He searched around frantcally for Bara, and found her sitting in a field of flowers.

As she admired the beauty of the flowers in the moonlight, he was admiring hers.

As he walked up the hill, she didn't notice him until he was a few steps behind her.

When she turned to look at him, she squinted her eyes.

_His are different._ she said.

"What brings you-"

"Sh." he said putting a finger on her lips then replacing it with his.

She was dumbstruck, but also happy he did it.

He leaned forward, a bit too much, and they both fell over into the flowers.

She was too tired to complain, or wonder, so she went with it.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Rekindled_**

The next day, Grandma took Sasuke out into a clearing, and summoned a wood clone.

"Do chidori?" he asked.

"Precisely."

He charged his hand and charged at the clone.

The impact caused a small explosion.

"Now, the move I am about to teach, cannot, I repeat, cannot be fueled by hatred or anger, unless the anger stems from concern. What I want you to do, is charge the same amount of energy that you use in chidori, to the tip of your blade. Once you have done that, swing your sword. This attack is both distance and close range. If your enemy is at a distance, then you can launch your chidori in the shape of anything you want. From a wave to a ray. Now, concentrate, and fire."

Sasuke concentrated his thoughts on the time when Hanone used her Tsukyomi on them, and his desire to help Bara when she was feeling the full effects.

The tip of his blade glowed brightly as he did this.

He concentrated on a small twister and swung his blade.

A bright twister made of lightning shot from his blade and plowed through the clones.

Sasuke looked on in shock.

"As strong as that move is, it barely takes away any chakra. You can use it as many times as you want, if it is for the right reason." Grandma said.

"Why are you teaching me this? I thought your goal was to get me away from that path."

"Because, you are the one who will protect her the most."

"From what?"

"That's all for right now, come back later on, and I will help you and the rest open the first seal."

"First seal?"

"Why yes. Have you ever wondered what made Bara, Sarah and Shawn so strong? They are working on unlocking the fourth seal. Every seal is like a level. When you unlock it, you unlock more power. But you need someone with my experience to do it."

"Why can't you do it now?"

"Because I want you to relax and go enjoy this beautiful day. Bara is by the river right now, you can go spend time with her. Or find Naruto and the others and 'hang' with them." she said quoting 'hang'.

Sasuke left to go find Bara.

He found her by the river, practicing her Bajiquan stances.

Sasuke stopped to admire her form.

He noticed that every blow she made was quick and direct, and when she moved, it was with graceful and light.

Her kimono flowed behind her like an elegant sheild protecting her back.

She finally stopped and turned around. "It is polite to announce your prescence you know." she said with a smile.

He closed his eyes and smirked. "I didn't want to interrupt your training."

"Oh it's not training, I just love doing it. It's like dancing."

"So what are your plans for today?" he asked leaning against a tree with his arms folded.

"Well, today I planned to walk through the forest for a while before I go to grandma for more training. She seems distracted lately though."

She turned her gaze to the river.

"She just taught me a new move." Sasuke said trying to keep a conversation going.

"Oh cool!" she said clasping her hands together,"maybe you could show it to me later."

Sasuke closed his eyes, pondering why he was standing here.

When he opened them she was standing right in front of him.

"Still questioning yourself?"

"No."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay." She then continued her dancing.

Once again, Sasuke observed her movements.

"Hey Sasuke!" he heard a familiar voice yell.

He opened his eyes to see Naruto grinning back at him.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked as politely as his personality would let him.

"I was about to ask you the same-" Naruto paused and looked at Bara.

A small grin formed on his face as he looked back at Sasuke, "Soooo, is she your new girlfriend?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

"Why are you here?"

"To find out why you're here."

Sasuke, alittle irritated now, took a deep breath, and quietly said, "I like her alittle."

"Then ask her out."

Sasuke hesitated.

"Come on it can't be that hard. Hey Bara!"

"Naruto! No-"

"Yes?" Bara said walking up.

"C'mon." Naruto whipered nudging him.

Sasuke glared at him before turning back to look at a confused Bara.

"I was wondering if," he hesitated, rubbing the back of his head, frustrated and embarrassed,"If..."

"Ramen shop, let's go." she finished for him.

Still blushing he agreed and as they both headed back towards town Sasuke could hear Naruto holding back laughter.

They arrived at the Ramen shop, ordered, then ate.

Sasuke checked the time, "Looks like it's time for more training."

"Hurry up and go...Grandmama will be in a foul mood if you're late."

Sasuke paid for the meal and rose to leave.

"Wait!" she said walking up to him.

"Thanks for the date." she said and planted a kiss on his lips once more.

Before he could get into it she stopped and ran off, giggling and looking back, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Despite his reluctance for it, he felt pleased that she liked it and made his way to Grandma.

He opened the door to see her sitting in a chair.

There were two cups of tea on the table.

"Come sit Sasuke, there is somthing I feel I must discuss with you."

Feeling uneasy, he obeyed.

"You are the only one unaware of the calamity about to befall this village."

"What do you mean."

"I have seen that he is sending his own small army here to...kill Bara."

"What! Why didn't you-"

"Let me finish. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want to make you lose hope again. I taught you that move because I knew you would need it if you want to keep her safe."

"Why does he want to kill her."

Grandma closed her eyes and looked down.

Angry now, Sasuke stood up, "Answer me!"

"Because...through her willing death can she kill Him."

Time stopped for just a moment as Sasuke adjusted to the shock.

"Then being with her is a waste-"

"No, it is not."

"What's the point of being with her if she's just gonna die?"

"That is why I stress the importance of letting me finish. I know she must give her life to kill Him, therefore, I have been working on a unique jutsu to solve that problem. I call it 'rebirth'; for a large piece of my life she is revived, only within a fraction of her life, which is enough."

"What if you die?"

"Highly unlikely. But if I were to expire, I have also left instructions on the locations of seven relics that symbolize the seven of eight gates. If I am unable to do this justsu, then I will guide you all to each relic. Sasuke," she said, her blind eyes looking at his furious ones, "you have my word, that I will not let her be taken from you. Even if it means she cannot fulfill her part in this. Your need for others as well as each other is more important to me than what she is supposed to do. She knows of her fate as well, but accepts it."

Sasuke left and ran straight to the apartment where Bara was staying.

It was raining hard. _The perfect setting._ he thought absentmindedly.

He got to her number, soaking wet.

He banged on the door, panting wearily and in panic.

She opened the door, suprised that it was him.

"Sasuke what-"

He silenced her with a deep kiss.

He let go and she asked, a bit confused, "Maybe you should come in out of the rain."

He walked inside and she closed the door.

"Take off your shirt and hang it on that wire right there so it can dry."

As he did this she walked into her bathroom and came back with a towel.

"Here." she said.

He took it as she looked outside.

The rain had gotten worse.

"Guess you'll be staying here tonight." she said briskly.

He didn't smile, instead he asked, "Did you know of what you had to do to kill that thing?"

Her smile vanished.

She looked at the ground in guilt, "yes."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted to, but you've already lost so much in your life. I didn't want to add more."

"What about when the time came?"

"I'm sure Grandmama told you what she plans to do about that. I have complete faith in her about it."

He sat on the bed and hung his head a little.

She sat next to him, and turned his head towards her own.

"Listen to me, Sasuke, everything will be alright. If you don't believe me, then in time you will. Know that even if you want to stop what we're doing, because of what you don't want to feel when the time comes, I understand."

Sasuke looked in her eyes; eyes that seemed to smile back at him.

He closed his eyes and held her close before letting go.

"So, where am I sleeping?"

"I totally forgot! Let me change first."

She ran into the bathroom and closed the door.

Some minutes later, she came out, wearing a silk tank-top, and white silk pants.

Sasuke stared in awe.

She walked up to him, and lightly pushed him back. "With me." she said with a smile.

In the male depths of Sasuke's mind, a little voice yelled 'YES!'


	13. Chapter 13

**_The Battle_**

Bara was the first to rise that morning.

She went to her window, drew off the curtains, and screamed in shock as she backed up, waking up Sasuke.

"What is it?" He asked running up to her.

He turned to the window and his eyes opened in shock.

A while from the village was a mass of black soldiers and a couple of catapults.

They both got dressed as quickly as they could and ran out the door.

They stopped at the entrance.

"I'll go wake Shizune and Sakura." she said.

"Okay, I'll wake Naruto." he replied.

She turned and ran towards Sakura's.

Sasuke looked after her, in his mind his fear for her safety replaced all else as he watched her disappear behind a corner.

_Please don't let that be the last time I see her. _he thought as he dashed off.

He arrived at Naruto's under a minute and banged on his door.

Naruto opened the door, sleepily looking at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, what-"

"Get dressed, something's here!"

His drowsiness vanished as he became more alert and hurried to change his wardrobe.

The army was at Konoha's doorstep as everyone was up and ready.

The villagers and children were had already been evacuated, a strong urge from Grandma.

Sasuke looked around for Bara, but couldn't find her.

He heard an explosion, _Shit! I've got to find her quick!_ he thought.

Naruto and Neji were right behind him.

They turned a corner and met some of the troops.

They were lined in five rows, six in each.

Sasuke got his sword out and sharingan as Naruto got out his kunai and Neji turned on Byakugan.

The soldiers were black armor that had white borders.

The first ones in each row had spears, while the last ones had bows and arrows.

They fired their arrows, which missed their mark.

Naruto, Sasuke and Neji charged.

They cut through their ranks like a hot knife through butter.

"These were obviously the shock troops." Neji said after the last was disposed of.

"I guess they wanted to get us while we were sleeping." Naruto said.

Sasuke was on the move again with Neji and Naruto, a bit confused, following him.

He turned a corner and saw her.

She, along with Sakura, Hinata and Kiba were holding back a large group that came from a hole in the wall.

Sasuke, Naruto and Neji ran to help out.

Some soldiers jumped out of the houses in an attempt to catch Bara, Sakura, Hinata and Kiba from behind, but didn't count on the other three.

As they cut down the ambushers, Sasuke saw something that made his stomach turn over.

One soldier, a bit larger than the rest, with night black armor and a red symbol on his helmet, walked up to Bara.

She saw him coming and threw a punch at him.

He caught it, and threw her through the wall of a house.

He walked towards her as she was rising slowly and was about to grab her when Sasuke, sword flowing and glowing with electicity, ran to him and cut off his arm.

It let out a what must've been a scream as it backed up.

Sakura ran to Bara, "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just recovering from the shock of being thrown through a wall." she replied softly.

They all turned to look.

"That must be the lieutenant." Shikamaru said appearing with Choji and Ino.

The Lieutenant looked at its arm then back at them.

Everyone gaped as they saw its arm, in a cloud of black mist, grow back.

Bara rose, gave a squeal of pain, then sank back down.

Sakura inspected her leg. "It's fractured a bit." she said.

Suddenly Grandma appeared, "This is a battle we cannot win yet. Hurry this way."

More troops attacked.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Neji dispatched of the attacking troops as they made their escape.

Once he was done he too made his escape.

Sasuke carried Bara since Sakura didn't have enough time to heal her.

"Up this mountain!" Grandma said guiding them up a trail.

When they were far enough she stopped and turned around.

The villagers were also at the top of this mountain.

Grandma made one hand sign and said "Forbidden Jutsu: Oblivion Freeze!"

A large column of light struck the village with the soldiers making their way through it, then vanished, a giant crater taking its place.

"Why did you do that?!" Naruto yelled.

"Don't worry it's not destroyed. I merely sent it to a plane where everything is frozen. When we kill Him, those troops will disappear, and your village will have only minor damages." she replied quickly healing Bara's fractured leg.

"I suppose it's time we went after it." Grandma said.

"So who's going?" Sakura asked.

"I will need all nine of you to come with us." she said.

"Sure you don't need us?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes I'm sure. You all should stay here to protect the villagers. I hope you have a place to refuge to?"

"The Sand Village is close. I'm sure they'll sympathize with us." Shizune answered.

"Very well. Let us proceed."

She motioned for Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee to follow her.

"So, how are we going to get him?" Naruto asked as they headed for the ocean.

"First, we must find his world." Grandma said.

"How are we going to do that?"

At precise moment, pirates were jumping out the sand and from the trees, surrounding them.

"Hand over yer shinies and sharps 'fore we gut ya like a buzzard!" One with a patch on his eye said.

"He said to hand over something sharp and shiny?" Shawn asked.

"How bout my kunai in his skull? That's sharp and shiny." Sarah suggested.

"No, hand over your weapons, all of you." Grandma said.

"No way!" Ino yelled.

"Do not worry; we shall retrieve them when the time is right." Grandma assured them.

Everyone obeyed, and they were taken back to the ship.

When they got on-board, they were greeted by the captain.

"I knew those stuck-up tin cans wouldn't catch ya rushing in like that." he boomed.

_This guy must work for Him. _Sakura thought.

Everyone exchanged looks, they knew what was happening.

"He'll pay big for you all, especially you my dear." he said with his hand under Bara's chin, grinning a cavity full grin.

Sasuke's clenched his fist.

"Take them to the brig. Make sure they're tied so tight they can't feel their fingers too; don't want them getting loose and causing a ruckus."


	14. Chapter 14

**_Commandeer_**

Everyone was bound to the wall.

The rope was thick, and bound so tight some of them had a hard time breathing.

"Now don't get too comfortable now!" One of them joked as he and his buddy exit laughing.

"What now Grandma?!" Naruto asked angrily.

"Shawn?" she said turning her head towards Shawn.

"Right." Shawn said smiling.

Bones sprang out all over his body, slashing the ropes that bound him.

The bones then sank back in, except for a long sharp one that came out from his elbow and extended alittle past his fingers.

He began to cut the others loose one by one.

Once they were all loose, Grandma said, "Now let us retrieve our weapons and take over this ship."

"Go check on the prisoners." They heard one say.

Everyone hid as they heard footsteps.

The door opened as the pirate walked in.

"Enjoyen' ya sta-what?"

Shawn came from behind and held the sharp bone to his throat.

Everyone came from hiding as Sarah went and asked, "Where are our weapons?"

"You'll get no answers from me!"

"I don't think you're in a position to be difficult." Shawn threatened.

More bones grew from one side of the bone sword, poking the pirate in the neck.

He began to whimper and said, "All right! All right! They're just in the next room, on the table!"

"Why thank you!" Sarah said before Shawn knocked him out.

Once they retrieved their weapons they decided on a plan of action.

"We should just go up there and take em down!" Naruto suggested.

"No we shouldn't. We don't know how many are there." Shikamaru said.

"About twelve." Neji said, his byakugan active.

"Where are they?"

"They're all on the deck. Looks like they're celebrating." Neji answered.

"I agree with Naruto, the faster we defeat them the faster we may continue our business. We are at sea, so there will be no one here to help them." Grandma said.

"She's right, out here, they're pretty much done for." Shikamaru said.

"Then let's go!" Naruto said happily.

On the deck, one of the pirates was imitating a chicken when a kunai flew and hit him in the head.

He fell to the floor, blood squirted from his wound.

The other pirates looked up to see their prisoners had escaped, their weapons pointed to them.

One went for his pistol.

"You'll lose your arm doing that." Sarah threatened, three shuiken between her fingers.

The pirates looked at each other and raised their hands in defeat.

"What do we do with them?" Sakura asked.

"If we keep them on this ship, they could prove troublesome in the future." Grandma said.

"Let's just dump them into the water, let the sharks have em." Kiba suggested.

"What if they get help?" Shikamaru asked.

"True. Though both situations are bad, dumping them in the ocean is our best bet. It is a chance we must take." Grandma said.

One of the pirates facing Bara said, "I won't go down tha' easily!"

He spit a needle from his mouth and it caught Bara in her neck.

She fell to the ground.

"BARA!" Sarah yelled.

Shawn thrust his bone sword through the pirate's head, then detached it, leaving it in there as a reminder to the others.

Sakura quickly removed the needle and checked her pulse.

"It's alright, her heart stopped for a moment, but she should be waking up in a minute."

The plan after that was then to throw them over board and let any sharks in the vicinity have them for lunch.

Bara was placed in one of the crew's quarters to rest.

Shawn took the wheel and Grandma told him to sail east.

Everyone began to relax as the ship sailed.

Choji and Rock Lee began to get sea sick and had to sit down.

Sasuke sat at the bow of the ship, lost in thought.

Night crept up slowly, and the stars's reflection joined their heavenly dance.

Sasuke hadn't moved from that spot.

He sat there, his mind in conflict and torment.

He wanted to her room and wait for her to awake.

At the same time, he wanted nothing to do with her to avoid the tragedies of having a bond.

As he thought this, a memory of what Grandma sang rang in his head._ Bonds can also serve another purpose besides the darkness you give them. _

_What other purpose do they have? She almost died, and now I feel horrible because of it! I should sever our bond like I should've done to Naruto._

"Sasuke, I need to see you." he heard Grandma say from the deck.

He got up and walked up to her. "What?"

"It is time to unlock the first gate. I did promise to do that." she said.

He followed her down to a room that had a large circle drawn in the middle with candles around the perimeter, giving it a dim glow.

"Sit down."

He sat.

"We shall open the first gate, The Gate of Strength. You might want to remove your shirt for this; it is located at the base of your spine."

Reluctantly, he removed his shirt, and closed his eyes to meditate.

"This gate is only opened by stength, courage, and self-confidence, and is blocked by cowardice, fear, and insecurity. I'm going to probe your mind and evoke the thoughts that scare you most. Are you ready?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Ready."

Though his eyes were closed, images flashed in his head: Bara's corpse, defeat by Itachi, himself without power, etc.

"I know these images cause you discomfort, but you mustn't let those fears run your life. Do not ignore them, but do not let your obssession for that fear keep you from being strong. True strength, is going about life knowing your fears are there, but not having it in front of your mental eyes all the time. This shell you keep yourself in is an evolved fear, that has sadly become as apart of you as your arms and legs; however, knowing and believing that you will never let these things happen, despite anything that has caused you to think otherwise, is the true sign of strength, overcoming all odds, physical, mental, and spiritual."

Sasuke concentrated hard, trying with all his might to convince himself of what she just told him.

After what seemed like hours (but it actually took him 30 minutes), he felt a new sensation wash over him.

"Congratulations, you've done it."

Sasuke opened his eyes and stood up.

He clenched his fists and flexed his arms.

He never felt so much power.

He felt free, invincible, unable to be conquered by anything.

"This gate unlocks all the physical and mental power that would usually be activated by that seal on your neck. I hope you have no more use for it."

With this kind of teacher, and power...he really didn't need it anymore.

He had a sudden urge to go find Bara.

He dashed through the hall, shirtless and feeling like a juggernaut as he made his way through the maze of crew quarter's.

He ran past Naruto.

"Hey Sasuke what's the hurry?"he yelled after him.

He found her, awake and on the bridge looking at the stars.

She turned to leave while he was walking up to her.

"Sasuke, what are you doing up here...without a shirt or shoes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He closed the distance between them and gave a her a full embrace.

She was dumbstruck.

He released her.

"Sasuke, wha-"

He interrupted her with a deep kiss.

Still a bit confused, the mentally shrugged her shoulders and returned it.

Sakura had come up for some fresh air when she saw them.

A bit envious of Bara, she closed her eyes and reopened them, this time with a 'at least he's happy now' expression, and walked back inside. _Wonder what Ino will say?_ She thought grinning.


	15. Chapter 15

**_The Next Gate_**

Grandma spent the next day unlocking the next gate for everyone.

First up...Naruto

"The Gate of Flexibility, powered by pleasure, weakened through guilt. Tell me child, what do you feel guilty for?"

Though his eyes were closed, he strained them in despair. "I couldn't save him."

"Do not worry child, you will not succeed at everything you do. Learn to accept a failed attempt, and learn from what you lacked so you know what you need to improve for next time."

Naruto's body suddenly jerked.

"Hey...I feel, a bit loose..."

"Yes, this gate is the quickest one."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next...Sakura.

"The Gate of Flexibility, powered by pleasure, weakened through guilt. Tell me child, what do you feel guilty for?"

"I couldn't stop him from leaving the village."

"He is a person, a being with different values and personality from others, just like you. Learn that everyone has a different method of being convinced. Just because you didn't know, doesn't mean you have to feel as though you did."

"Yeah. That does make sense-"

She froze. "I feel...different, almost...ropey..."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke

"The Gate of Flexibility, powered by pleasure, weakened through guilt. Tell me child, what do you feel guilty for?"

"I wasn't able to save them..."

"I know we've had this conversation before, but I will still explain it. You were young, oblivious to what would happen next because you wanted and hoped for everything to work out well; nothing wrong with that. Though he did what he did, do not blame yourself for their expire; I know and you know they wouldn't want you to continue in that state."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She finished with everyone else, and by the time she was finished with Bara, the entire ship was aware of Sasuke's and Bara's relationship.

Bara was walking down the hall when Sarah came out of a room and pulled her in.

Sasuke was cornered by the guys in his room.  
XXXXXXXXXX

"So Bara," Sarah asked with a wide grin, "how long has this been going on between you and sasuke?"

"Oh, um...I don't know...two to three days I guess..."

"How did you two get together?" Hinata asked eargerly.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why didn't you tell us you two were..."Naruto asked holding up a pinky.

"Because I didn't want to."

"Well she's a keeper. Her talents in Bajiquan might just be master level." Neji remarked in admiration.

"Yeah...she is pretty graceful." Sasuke said with a small smile.

"And here I always thought it would've been either Sakura or Ino. More the former than than the latter." Shikamaru said.

"So...how did this relationship between you start?" Lee said.

Sasuke saw no escape to it, so reluctantly he said, "I guess it started in the hospital."  
XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yeah...I was healing him, then we got into an argument about something." she said thinking hard.

"I remember he said something bad to me, so I started to cry. I remember kissing him before running out the room."

"Why'd you kiss him?" Ino asked.

"I don't know...despite what he said I was just, you know, expressing my feelings for him...didn't expect him to corner me and return it."

"He did whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Sarah asked excitedly.

She hopped up and ran to the door to go lock it.

She came back, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Tell us _everything_! Don't leave nothing out."  
XXXXXXXX

"So...you cornered her after you did that, and what?" Kiba asked with disbelief.

"I...kissed...her..."Sasuke said, not believing himself.

"Hard to believe that little scene with you in it." Shikamaru joked.  
XXXXXXXX

"What kind of kiss was it?" Ino asked.

"Was it deep and passionate?" Hinata asked.

"Was it light and breath-taking?" Sakura asked.

"Um...He kinda had me against a wall...so I'll have to go with deep and passionate." she replied.

"Awwwwwwwww!" was all that escaped the girls' mouths.  
XXXXXXXXXXX

"What was going through your mind while you were doing this?" Naruto asked.

"Just...thoughts."

"Was that the only time you kissed her like that?" Neji asked.

"No. Her Grandma came the next day and..." he smiled, " 'convinced' me to give it a try with her."  
XXXXXXXX

"The next time he kissed me like that was the night I was in the field looking at the flowers blooming in the moonlight." She said almost dreamily.

The other five girls were all on the edge of their seats, trying to picture the scene she described.

"I don't know what got into him...but I remember seeing walk up, shirtless (this earned a gasp from Ino), and...just kissed me. Like there was no tomorrow. I've never had anyone kiss me the way he has. It's like the warmth of the sun, without the glare. The next time was when he was soaked from the rain."  
XXXXXXXXXX

"What made you run to house in a downpour like that?" Naruto asked.

"Found out something that I wish I didn't know." he said bitterly.

"And that was..." Kiba asked rotating his hand for him to continue.

He thought about telling them. _If I tell them, they might be able to keep that from happening. _

"Her grandma told me...that...in order to kill that thing...she has to die."

"WHAT!?" They all yelled in unison.

"Does she know?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah...she knows. She trusts in her grandma, who said that she had ways to bring her back if she did it."

"If?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah. She told me, and I guess she told her, that if we view our relationship as more important, then she doesn't have to sacrifice herself."

"Did you talk it over with her?" Choji asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Not yet."

"So what did you do?" Neji asked.  
XXXXXXXX

"The next time, he came to my apartment number, soaking wet because of the rain." Bara continued.

"What made him run through rain?" Tenten asked.

"He found out what I have to do to kill Him."

"What's that?"

Bara looked down in guilt.

"She has to sacrifice herself when it's weak enough." Sarah answered, looking guilty as well.

_Poor Sasuke. _Sakura thought sadly.

"Well...how do you feel about it?" Sakura asked.

"At first, I know I would've done it in a heartbeat. Now though, because I know the effect it'll cause on him, I'm starting to second guess it."

"Well you can't just kill yourself!" Ino said.

"Yeah, there has to be another way?" Sakura agreed.

"We're not sure if there is yet." Sarah said sadly.

"I know Grandmama has been busy looking for another route since we got together. I think she's frightened for both of us." Bara said.

"Well that explains why we haven't been seeing her around that often." Tenten said.

Bara rose to and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

"Up top. It's a beautiful night and I feel like star-gazing. Helps clear my head."  
XXXXXXXXX

"Maybe you should go talk to her about it?" Neji said.

"Maybe not," Shikamaru replied.

"What? Why not?" Naruto asked.

"Look, this thing...whatever it is, managed to get the three sannin and I bet any other ninja with alot of power. However," he said closing his eyes, "it'd be selfish to _let _her do it, as well as to _not _let her do it. It's basically our need against the rest of the world."

"What if there was another way?" Kiba asked.

"If there is...then there would be no point in her to sacrifice herself." Neji answered.

Sasuke headed for the door.

"Hey!" Naruto said.

"I'm going to go talk to her." Sasuke said stepping out.

They waited for a minute, then followed him, keeping out of sight.

It was a star-filled sky that night.

The water reflected the sky so it looked like they were sailing through space.

Sasuke reached the deck, and saw Bara standing at the front of the ship, her head on her hand, gazing at the stars.

As Sasuke made his way to her, everyone else quietly spied on them.

"I can't here what there saying!" Ino hissed.

"I you're quiet maybe we could hear something." Sakura hissed back.

They couldn't hear them, but tried to make out the situation based on their movements.

They were facing each other, both with a serious expression on their face.

Sasuke said something, and Bara looked down, the then she rose her head and said something.

Sasuke snapped he head to the side, his eyes were angry.

Everyone ducked down lower, thinking he had saw them.

They saw him turn his head back as she spoke.

This continued for a while before they saw that she began to cry, a smile on her face.

She held her hands in front of her as she spoke.

Sasuke went up to her, and gave her a deep kiss.

"Awwwww." The girls whispered.

"Way to go Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

They both stopped kissing and looked their way.

Sakura hit Naruto on the head. "Naruto you knucklehead!" she said angrily.

"Were you guys spying on us?" Bara asked.

"NO! No...we just came up here for some fresh air." Sarah said thinking quickly.

"All together?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah. You know how stuffy it gets down there." Shawn answered.

"Bara...what's wrong?" Sakura asked.

Everyone looked at Bara, she seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"Have you guys noticed that the boat isn't rocking at all?"


	16. Chapter 16

**_At The Edge of Time_**

"Now that you mention it...I haven't felt sea sick at all this night." Choji admitted.

They all ran to the side of the ship.

There were ripples surrounding the ship as is sailed through the unknown.

"The water reflects the stars," Shawn commented, "almost too perfectly."

"We are approaching the edge of time." Grandma said coming up.

"So then, where are we?" Ino asked.

"We are sailing within time itself. To get to Him, we must fall away from time."

"How do we plan to do that?" Neji asked.

"Um...there's something wrong up ahead." Sarah said pointing forward.

Everyone hurried to the front.

Not far from where they were, they could all make out what looked like a bend in space.

"What is that?" Bara asked.

"That is what scholars like myself call "The End of Time". We fall off time as we know it, and enter His world; a series of time zones and spacial rifts. I suggest we all head under, you don't want to be on deck when we fall off."

Everyone hurried down to the lower deck.

"Brace yourselves." she warned.

They felt the ship tilt, then the floor became a wall.

Sasuke quickly grabbed the door way as Bara clung for dear life.

Most of the guys did the same.

Hinata clung to Naruto; Sakura to Lee; Tenten to Neji; Sarah to Kiba; and Ino to Shikamaru.

Grandma's feet clung to wall.

The ship jerked and everyone except Grandma lost their grip and fell into a pile at the end of the hall.

They all looked up at the deck opening.

Something was sucking the ship in; the door swam into a twist, dragging the whole ship, and eventually them with it.

When it reached them, everyone lost consciousness.

Bara was the first to wake up.

Cautiously, she walked outside to see that it was a clear sunny day, but it still felt strange.

Kiba woke next and walked out to investigate too.

He sniffed the air. "Hey, there's no wind."

"No wind?" she replied and looked up at the sails that stretched like they were being pushed in a certain direction.

"Then how's the ship moving?" Bara asked.

"Because He wants us to come to Him." Grandma said. "Remember, we are in his world now. He controls most beings in this zone."

"Most?"

"Some resist his will, but the ones that don't are usually large and terrible."

After a while everyone else awoke, and was briefed by Bara and Kiba.

"For the remainder of our trip at sea, until we find land, I will need those who can see things from a distance to always be on the lookout for anything headed our way." Grandma said.

Neji and Hinata turned on Byakugan, Sasuke and Sara the Sharingan, and Shawn did both.

Neji turned around instantly and strained his eyes. "Looks like something's coming."

"Yeah...I see it too." Sasuke said.

"What is that?" Bara asked.

"It's...getting larger..." Hinata said.

"It's like a giant arrowhead with alot of arms..." Shawn said.

Grandma's blind eyes widened in fear. "Neji, Hinata! Stay on your guard, you two will be the most useful in this fight."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"A Kraken." she sighed.

The boat shook for a minute.

Everyone heard a low rumble below them.

"Stay away from the edges!" Shikamaru warned.

Sasuke unsheathed his chokuto and wrapped his free arm around Bara.

Naruto and Sakura backed up next to them as well.

Everyone knew it came for Bara.

A tentacle shot up from the right of the ship.

Like a snake it shot down, straight for Bara.

Neji quickly ran in front and hit a couple of places on it's tentacle.

The tentacle fell on the deck, limp as a noodle.

"Cut it now!" Grandma ordered.

Sasuke cut the tentacle quickly, his sharingan scanning the water for its next strike.

Their eyes saw the next attack coming...right behind them.

Hinata's turn, she ran between it and Bara and paralyzed it as well.

Shawn used a sword he made from his bones to cut it off.

A full minute passed with no activity.

"What's it doing?" Sakura asked.

"It's just sitting there." Neji said.

"Looks like it's waiting for something." Shawn said.

Their eyes narrowed and they gasped.

"It's gonna smash into the boat from below!" Bara yelled.

"Abandon Ship!"

Everyone landed on the water and made way for land.

The kraken bisected the ship, making it look like it exploded.

It crashed into the water and jetted towards its prey.

Everyone just reached the beach when it, moving too fast, slid up on the sand.

It gave a low growl, then used its remaining tentacles to quickly pull itself back into the water.

It stayed there for a minute before disappearing back into the water.

"Ah, this is convenient." Grandma said while everyone's attention was still on the water.

"What?" Sakura asked.

Her question was answered in what looked like an entire civilization, half submerged in water.

The buildings were old and some lay in ruins.

"This place must be ancient." Naruto said.

"No sign of life here." Neji said.

They walked up to an old stone bridge.

"Looks like it's centuries old by the looks of those vines pokin out." Shikamaru observed.

"The Gate of Innocence," Grandma said startling everyone, "is a curious one indeed. It is strengthened by true insight, and blocked by the illusions that we've come to know...such as time."

"Grandma, wha-" Sarah began.

"Unlocking this gate is better than unlocking the Gate of Thought, for The Gate of Innocence prepares the mind and gifts one who unlocks this with the rare ability to bend nature to their will. You all," she said pointing to the former rookie 9, "Have got so far as the gate of power. However you three," she said pointing at the remainder,"have reached The Gate of Perception, a gate before Innocence."

She turned and started to walk on the path.

Everyone exchanged glances with each other, wondering what made her reveal that to them.


	17. Chapter 17

**_To the Shadows of Time_**

As they traversed through the ruins everyone kept themselves on high alert; they were in His territory now.

"We're nearly there." Grandma said,"Be prepared for anything."

They came upon an large 15x10 stone door that had a mural on the wall.

It was a picture of what looked like the body of a black lion with the tail of a scorpion and the head of dragon.

"What's that?" Naruto asked.

"I cannot see it, put I do know it describes what lies behind this door." Grandma said.

"How do we open it?" Kiba asked.

"Break it down?" Sakura suggested.

"No...doing that would activate all the traps within meant to contain the beast. I'm sure their is a hollow rock we must push in to safely enter." Grandma said.

"Here it is." Hinata declared pushing a stone in.

The door rattled for a second, then slowly lifted up to a pitch-black walkway.

When they took one step in, candles along the walkway lit up the path ahead of them.

"Tread carefully." she warned, "The traps may be centuries old, but they still work. There is a stone somewhere around here that we musn't touch, it activates everything."

As they all walked, carefully keeping from stepping on the wrong stone, something roared and shook the ruin.

Naruto lost his balance and stepped on a stone sticking out of the ground.

That stone sunk into the ground, everyone stopped dead.

"Uh-oh."

Sakura hit him on the head.

"Dammit Naruto you clutz!"

Neji gasped, "Duck!"

They all ducked as the walls began firing darts.

They crawled through the crossfire and ran for it.

Their speed and bloodline eyes kept them away from most of the traps.

They were mostly faced with traps such as the pendelum and trap floors.

They ran into a chamber and closed the door, stopping to catch their breath.

"I think that's all of them." Neji said.

Suddenly, the bloodline eyeusers opened their eyes and looked ahead of them.

They could all hear growling, a shallow hiss, then more growling.

A pair of bloodred eyes looked at them from the shadows as the creature from the mural came into view.

It eyed them all with a savage hunger, licking its chops as it drooled.

"It's Him." Grandma said,"Or, the form he's chosen to fight us."

"Why couldn't he choose something small and cuddly?" Sarah whined.

He gave an earthquaking roar then charged at them.

They all jumped, His claw nearly caught Choji's leg.

"Man He's fast." Shikmaru said; he got on one knee and was trying to do his Shadow possession jutsu.

He caught Him, but He was slowly walked up to him.

"What? Why isn't it working?" Ino asked.

"He's a shadow himself. Those attacks don't work on him." Grandma said.

"Perfect." Shikamaru sighed.

He charged again, faster this time.

He was met by Shawn, arm covered in spiked bones.

He jumped left at the last second to avoid Shawn, and the bones raked His leg.

He stopped and looked at His leg.

Everyone watched in horror as he wound began to heal itself in the form of a black mist.

Shino sent his bugs out, "We need to trap it."

"Right." Shawn said,"I need a way underground!"

"Leave it to me!" Choji said.

Forming himself into a boulder he tunneled under the ground, Shawn running close behind him.

_What are they planning?_ Bara thought.

She had to put that on hold when He charged at her.

Sasuke and Naruto moved in front, sword and kunai out.

He pivoted left in an attempt to get around them, but Sakura and Hinata covered that side.

Soon everyone but Shino stood behind Bara.

He looked down and saw that the bugs had already began to crawl on him, but he didn't seem to care; His only concern was getting rid of her.

As the bugs surrounded him he walked back and forth, trying to find a breach in their defenses.

"Swarm!" Shino ordered.

The bugs sprang upon Him, and held him in place.

"Now Shawn!" Sarah yelled down the hole.

"BRACKEN DANCE!"

Bones sprang from the ground, impaling Him as the bugs held Him in place.

"Everyone now!" Grandma yelled.

They all attacked Him using their strongest attacks.

In one roar he knocked everthing away, bones, bugs, people.

He was weak, too weak to heal himself.

In one desperate attempt he leapt at Bara; and she had a surprise.

She kicked him to the floor and unsheathed a crystal dagger.

She quickly impaled Him, and his howl sounded more like a man's scream of pain.

She quickly made a series on hand signals.

She pointed a him, and a string of light escaped her finger.

Sasuke rose, "NO!" he yelled getting up and running up to her.

The light left her finger, and she fell.

Sasuke caught her, her eyes closed, a small smile on her face.

Before he perished, he shot a black arrow from his mouth, impaling Grandma's left arm.

Everyone gasped, _Oh no! _Sakura thought.

When the last of the light entered Him, his eyes and mouth glowed with it.

He gave a long rasping death rattle, then slumped over and disappeared in a cloud of mist.

Sakura quickly ran over to Grandma and removed the arrow.

"What do we do now?" Ino asked looking at Sasuke, his eyes full of sorrow.

"We must...get the relics...before this dimension destroys itself." Grandma gasped.

"What do mean destroys itself!?" Naruto yelled.

"He is gone from this dimension, therefore there is nothing keeping it stable. We have enought time...if we act quickly."

She feebly raised and flicked her hand; seven portals appeared in front of them.

"I will need only seven of you to retrieve them. Do not dawdle...destroy what is only directly in your way."

"What do you suppose is guarding it?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know...I do know his most threatening creatures here are gone. You will all...face mediocre enemies at best. It must be done in the order of going from left to right. Each time one of you finds one...I'll teleport you here."

It was decided that Kiba would go for the first, Rock Lee for the second, Choji for the third, Neji for the fourth, Sakura for the fifth, Sasuke for the sixth, and Naruto for the seventh.

"Get moving!" She told them.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, getting his attention.

Naruto gave him his famous thumbs up sign, "Don't worry, we'll get her back!"


	18. Chapter 18

**_Revive His Love_**

Kiba and Akamaru were teleported to what looked like a ruined city.

"Ready Akamaru?"

"Woof!"

"Alright! Let's go!"

They ran through the ruined city.

In an instant the entire city was lit on fire.

Black clouds loomed overhead as the sea of flames from below illuminated their path.

They both ran across the fallen buildings and through the crumbling streets...searching for it.

Suddenly, a rip in the air formed a giant sharingan eye...looking at them.

Everything began to move towards that eye and disappear into nothingness.

_Shit! _Kiba thought. _We gotta find that relic quick! _

As they ran through a building more eyes began to form.

In a stroke of luck, they fell through the floor, and lying in front of them was what looked like a stone bicep.

_This must be it!_ he thought taking it.

There was a white flash, and he was gone.  
XXXXXXXXX

Rock Lee opened his eyes.

Lava surrounded him.

_Where am I? _he asked himself.

He looked around and saw a cliff.

_That looks like the way..._he thought jumping from onto the rocks sticking out from the ocean of liquid fire.

He climbed the shelf, and was met by human like silhouettes covered in flames.

"Leave Whirlwind!" he yelled knocking them aside.

He ran into a cave full of geodes, a gap lay before him.

He quickly cleared it and looked forward.

He saw what looked like a stone pretzel glowing on top of a cliff.

Between him and that was the ocean of lava complete with a waterfall.

_This will not be a walk in the park._ he thought.

He jumped from rock to rock, barely noticing the eyes forming behind him.

It wasn't until the relic was almost in his grasp did a ball of fire head towards him.

He jumped forward and grabbed the relic, getting a quick glimpse of the burning eye that threw it at him before he vanished.  
XXXXXXXXXX

Choji found himself in a lagoon.

He easily spotted the the relic a while away; a glowing stone flame.

He jumped down and made his way to it quickly.

He almost grabbed it when he saw the sharingan eye looking straight at him.

He winced a little, creeped out by how it stared.

_What is that?_ he asked himself.

He suddenly became aware that it was moving closer.

He looked down at his feet and saw that he was actually getting closer, and turned around, running towards the relic.

The sharingan became mangekyo sharingan, an eerie red glow coming from it.

The pull became greater as he fought the force and barely wrapped his index finger on the stone.

He vanished just as he was about to be sucked into the eye's eerie stare.  
XXXXXXXX

Neji opened his eyes...he was in a desert.

He turned on his byakugan. _There._ he thought.

He saw, a distance away...a beating stone heart.

Even though he wasn't close, he could steal hear it beating, like a drum in his mind.

He quickly ran up the wall, and stopped when he reached the top.

A small lake of sand stood between him and the stairs.

_Something about this sand isn't quite right. _he thought.

He took a rock and threw it into the sand.

The rock sat there for a moment, then slowly descended into the sand.

_Quicksand...I must tread carefully._

He jumped over it, and ran up the stairs.

There, he was met with the flaming eye; the heart lay behind it, beating softly now.

Neji got into his gentle fist stance.

The eye threw a fireball at him.

"Eight Trigrams Heavenly Palm!" He said pushing his hand forward.

The air palm hit the flaming eye right in it's iris, it vanished.

Neji quickly retrieved the relic, and turned around.

He noticed a man clad in black armor, head bent down to show long black hair.  
XXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura looked around at the vast ocean before her. _I sure hope that kraken's not in here._ she thought.

She jumped on the water and made a dash for the island ahead.

She noticed the two flaming eyes wat in the air by two stone pillars.

They blasted both pillars, large boulders descended upon her.

She smashed some and dodged others...she wanted to save chakra in case she ran into greater trouble.

She saw the relic on top of a large pillar...a swirl.

She quickly jumped up to retrieve it when a sharingan eye appeared in front of her.

She jumped down as quickly as she could.

_Damn it! _she thought.

She looked around thinking quickly as the eye began to change again.

_I got it!_

She smashed the base of the pillar, and the relic came down along with the debris.

She grabbed it as she was being pulled by the eye.

_Bara...we're closer now._

Before she vanished...she saw the same man Neji saw...only this time...he was wearing a long black cape.  
XXXXXXXXX

Sasuke was in a snowing mountain.

He could feel the presence of those eyes drawing closer, and ran forward.

Using his sharingan he was scouting the area for any signs of enemies.

It was only himself and the mass of eyes forming behind him.

When the eyes were too close, he jumped for the wall.

It was easier this way, since the eyes were forming on the floor.

_That must mean it's down there somewhere._

He ran faster, attempting to beat the eyes.

He saw it...a cave; the eyes were speeding up.

He quickly jumped down and ran for the entrance.

He dove forward as an eye formed in the place he was just in.

He looked forward and saw that it was a stone circle glowing with light.

_Bara...I'll get you back!_

He took it and turned around.

The same man Neji and Sakura saw stood before him...his head down, pointing a black armored finger at Sasuke.  
XXXXXXXX

Naruto found himself back in the ruins.

"Aw man...why am I here?"

He looked forward and saw a group of burning eyes glaring at him.

_Those guys are definetely unfriendly. _

He ran forward...dodging the fireballs they threw at him.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

There were now twenty Naruto's, to throw the eyes off.

As they climbed, they eyes were in a frenzy; the ones above rained showers of fireballs at them.

Naruto saw a clear spot just behind a large burning eye.

By that time...there were only four clones left.

He and one more clone made it past them.

He landed in a grassy patch, and saw his relic; a stone in the shape of the sun.

_Get ready Bara, we're gonna bring you back to the living!_

Suddenly, he looked ahead of the relic.

The man his former comrades glimpsed slowly raised his head up.

Naruto gaped at him.

His eyes were pure gold...and he was smiling at Naruto.

Naruto quickly retrieved the relic.

The man began to laugh...loud, ridiculing laughter.

Before Naruto could ask what was so funny, he was transported back to the chamber.

"Put your relic there, by Sasuke's." Grandma instructed weakly.

_She seems to be at her end. _Neji thought sadly.

Grandma did a series of seals quickly, all the while everyone could tell she was getting weaker by the second.

She did the last hand seal "Heaven Style: Absolute Resurrection."

A blast of light erupted from where Bara lay.

She stirred for a moment then sat up, a sleepy look in her eye.

"Grandma? What happened? Did we do it?"

"Yes my dear..we have him."

"_Do you now?"_ Came a voice.

"_Now now Eve...you should know better than anyone what it takes to beat me. All you did, was destroy an aspect, a member of my unholy group. I will ensure that you all perish, along with this universe."_

Suddenly, a hole, like the one that consumed the sannin, appeared under Grandma.

Bara's eyes grew wide in disbelief as she quickly rose to go help her grandmother.

She grabbed her grandmother's hands, "Grandma no! Please no!"

"Bara...you must go...you cannot help me now."

"No! I won't leave you!"

"You don't have a choice! Whether you like it or not he will take me, and there is nothing you can do about that. Run, all of you! Escape through the cyclone of water to the next dimension. Destroy his other aspects. When he doesn't have a leg to stand on...destroy him too!"

"Grandma...I can't...I can't do this without you." Bara cried.

As she was stomach deep in the shadow she smiled at Bara.

Putting a hand on her head she said, "Bara, you are stonger than any person I have ever met, even your sister and myself.You can do this, you all can do this, and you will. Goodbye."

She pushed Bara away and fell into the darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

**_Broken_**

All she could do is keep a blank stare, all through their escape through the portal.

Even though she had been revived, she still felt dead.

The last thing she remembered was going through the portal, then fainting.

She awoke in a bed inside what felt like a hotel.

She walked to the window and looked out.

It was an old western town in the desert.

Children below ran around, playing make-believe cowboy vs. indians or other cowboys.

A little girl fell and scraped her knee.

Her grandmother came, picked her up, kissed her wound, and made the little girl smile again.

Bara winced; she wished her grandma was here to kiss her wound and make her feel better.

She retreated to a corner of her room, crying softly.

Sasuke entered the room, and spotted her in the corner.

He came over and stood in front of her.

She didn't look at him, her mind lost in her despair, her head turned to one side.

Sasuke didn't want to say anything; he was no stranger to the ravages of losing a loved one.

He took her in his arms and hugged her.

She didn't return it, her body, to him, was dead with grief.

He could feel her tears running down his stomach.

He stayed there, hugging her for a long time.

Eventually they both sunk to the floor, never releasing his embrace on her.

She moved closer to him, her source of protection, not uttering a word.

Eventually she stopped crying.

He looked at her eyes; they no longer had that inner smile.

He wanted to help, he and everyone else.

As he held her, it felt as though without her grandmother she had literally given up.

He looked at her again...she was asleep.

He picked her up and put her on the bed.  
XXXXXXXXXX

Down in the bar "Hey! Can we get some Ramen!" Naruto called out.

"Naruto, they don't have Ramen here." Sakura said.

"What kinda place is this then?" Naruto asked.

"It's a bar genius, you order drinks." Kiba said.

"Oh, in that case, I still want Ramen."

"You're not getting any got damn Ramen!" Sakura yelled.

"Boy, that girl is more pissed than a rattlesnake in a coffee house." One guy said.

"Why is there a rattlesnake in a coffee house?" Sarah asked.

"I don't want to go in that coffee house." Shawn said.

"Wait...there's a rattlesnake in here?!" Sarah yelled jumping on the table.

"Shawn! Byakugan! Now! Look for it!"

"It's just a saying." Neji said.

Sasuke took a seat.

"How's she doing?" Sakura asked.

"She acts like there's nothing left for her to live for."

"Yeah she-" Shawn stood up, byakugan on, looking up the stairs.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Someone's got Bara." Shawn said.

Everyone ran up the stairs.

They burst through the door to see Orochimaru holding her.

"Ah, Sasuke, how are you my dear boy?" he said, Bara's head resting on her lap.

"Let go of her." Naruto warned.

"Or what? You attack? Especially when she's right here beside me? Naruto," he said chuckling, "how could you harm this beautiful, frail creature?" he removed a bang from her forehead.

Sasuke's grip on his sword tightened.

"Give her back." he warned.

"How much do you know of this little girl, Sasuke?" he askes smiling.

"Enough."

"Really, by the sound of it, none of you know her real name."

Everyone froze.

"What?"

"That's right. Her name is Bara, it's Taiyounami. Bara is the nickname her grandmother gave her, a codename to protect her from her sister, Hanone."

He smiled and kissed her forhead.

Sasuke could feel his anger reaching its boiling point.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru asked, "Sasuke...you know what I want. Then again," he said caressing her hair.

Naruto felt the nine tails chakra flowing through him.

"she is also an Uchiha, a strong one, just like you. But now," he said rising with her in his arms, "it's time for both of us to get acquainted. I'll see you around Sasuke."

He leapt out the window.

Everyone gave chase.

They chased him through the deser and saw a gorge coming up.

"Looks like we got him trapped." Kiba said.

Orochimaru, however, didn't stop running.

He ran off the edge, turned, and waved at them.

Everyone jumped over as well.

He fell in a hole at the bottom, but when they tried to follow, an invisible barrier blocked their path.

"No!" Naruto yelled pounding at the barrier, "Not again!"

"How do we get through this one?" Sakura asked.

"Hey! What's that?" Ino asked pointing at a rock behind the hole.

A barrier seal sat in front of it.

"Hey! It's just like that barrier we found at the akatsuki hideout!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Which means there's more around here." Neji concluded activating his byakugan.

"Just as I thought; there are four more, straight ahead in the gorge."

"What about what's in the hole?" Naruto asked.

"It looks like he's putting her in some-kind of cage. She's still out cold."

"Then let's not waste anytime!" Lee said.

"Ino, Choji, and myself will stay at this one when we all take it off. If someone comes, we'll hold them and ask some questions." Shikamaru said.


	20. Chapter 20

**_The Reason She Couldn't_**

"Taiyounami..."

She opened her eyes, she was lying on what looked like a large cement platform.

Looking up she saw a clear blue sky...but no sun.

Scratching her head, she turned and gasped.

Her grandma was walking up to her, wearing a white cloak; she had blue eyes.

"Grandma? Am I dead?"

She smiled, "No, my dear, you're not. I put you in this dream like state because it is time I revealed everything to you."  
XXXXXXX

Everyone was in position.

They removed them all at the same time.

The barrier went down; Shikamaru, Ino and Choji prepared themselves as everyone else was returning.  
XXXXXXXX

"Reveal what?"

"The true reason why Hanone could never kill you."  
XXXXXX

"Anything?" Naruto asked when he returned.

"Nothing yet." Shikamaru answered.

"It looks like he's the only one in there. I can't see anyone else." Neji said.

"Okay...let's go." Naruto said.  
XXXXXXX

"I thought she was too tired from using that genjutsu move on me."

"No...there was something about you that she could never best."

"What was that?"

"You are what the sages of our village called ametsuchi seigyoki."

"So...what does that mean about me?"

"It means you are one of the rare people in history born with an almost impossible amount and type of chakra. If you practiced at it, you would be able to do things like shooting lightning from your fingertips, or manipulating the wood from trees to protect you."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I thought that if you knew that you had that much power, you would turn back to your quest to kill your sister, and I didn't want you to live that life. That's why I've trained you the way I have."

"So then, that explains why I could use the petal barrage so easily?"

"Precisely. However, I knew it was inevitable that you would find out, so that's why I tought you the technique that helps you take other's chakra."  
XXXXXXXX

They made their way down the stairs and burst through the door.

"Orochimaru! Give Bara back!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't know who you're talking about." Orochimaru said pressing a button.

Snakes burst through the walls, constricting everyone.

Orochimaru laughed, "That was all too easy. And now Sasuke, it's time for you to give me what I want."  
XXXXXXXX

"That's all that must be said at this moment. It's time for you to wake up and help your friends."

"But...how do I do this?"

"My dear, I've taught you how to control and focus your chakra, you can do the rest. Now go! Orochimaru has them between his scales."  
XXXXXXXX

Orochimaru made his way towards Sasuke, a victorious smile etched across his face.

There was a bright light, a flash of pretty colors, and Orochimaru flew into the wall.

Everyone turned to see Taiyounami, body crackling with electricity, her sharingan blazing.

"Don't...touch...my friends." she said dangerously.

Orochimaru rose, laughing. "So, you finally wake? I was wondering when you would or not-"

Taiyounami was behind Orochimaru, and kicked him in the face.

Before he hit the wall she appeared in front of him and slammed him on the ground.

As he rose he saw the electricity forming in her hands.

_Her chakra...so strong! _

She focused all that electric energy to her right hand, and shot it at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru screamed in pain as he smashed into a wall.

Fire on her hands and feet, she spun around twice, jumped in the air, then punched the ground when she came down.

A radial wave of fire spread throughout the room, burning off the snakes and burning Orochimaru.

"All right Taiyounami!" Ino yelled happily.

"This...isn't over..." Orochimaru said weakly.


	21. Chapter 21

**_Munashii Herutsu_**

"Die!" Taiyounami yelled throwing a ball of fire at him.

Orochimaru spit a white object out of his mouth.

"So, this is your true body Orochimaru? A white snake?" Sasuke said looking at the large reptillean thing in front of him.

"You wanted to take over people's bodies so badly, you experimented on your own." he continued.

"Now you're a pathetic shell of your former self."

"_Come Sasuke_," the snake said rearing its head, "_GIVE ME YOUR BODY!!_"

He stuck the ground as Sasuke jumped in the air.

Two snakes emerged from his body and attempted to strike Sasuke.

Their heads fell to the floor.

Orochimaru turned and hissed as more snakes emerged from his body.

Sasuke put away his sword, and his cursed seal mark spread through his body.

_What the hell?! _Sarah, Shawn and Taiyounami thought in unison.

"Though the snake dreams...of soaring through the air," Sasuke said, everyone caught a glimpse of his black skin and glaring sharingan,"It is forever doomed to crawl on its belly."

The snakes that surrounded him suddenly burst apart; Orochimaru was shocked, and surprised.

"You'll have your chance to fly snake," Sasuke said in his second seal form.

Everyone looked in shock.

"What the hell is that!" Sarah yelled pointing at Sasuke.

_That...can't be..._"Sasuke?" Taiyounami said quietly.

"Whoa...so, the quiet emo kid can become a demon...I'm...well in a way it's pretty impressive and helpful, if I wasn't wetting my pants from how creepy those wings look!"Shawn commented.

"Wait...are those hands?" Sarah asked pointing at the hand-wings on his back.

Orochimaru hissed, "_SASUKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_

Taiyounami looked away. _This...can't be him. _She thought in shock.

After the commotion died down, she turned back around and opened her eyes.

Orochimaru lay dead on the ground, and Sasuke, human before it.

"Over already? That was far too easy."

Suddenly, Sasuke fell to one knee on the floor.

"Sasuke! Wha-"Naruto stopped. He couldn't move; none of them could.

Orochimaru rose, to everyone's surprised.

"Finally feeling the effects are we?"

"The humor of these white snakes is that they can taint the air with their paralyzing venom."

"I am undying. You are a whelp whose jutsu are still too weak to kill me." he hissed charging at Sasuke.

"SASUKE!" Taiyounami yelled.

"You're mine..."  
XXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke looked around at the dark abyss before him.

"Huh...what is this place?"

"An alternate reality inside of me, and the place where I carry out my soul transfer jutsu." Orochimaru said.

Sasuke noticed something rise out of the ground.

"And it's already started," Orochimaru say.

Sasuke looked down and saw snakes attaching themselves to him.

He noticed the bodies of two other victims of this process.

Sasuke looked at him.

_It's happening again..._ Orochimaru thought.

"Hehehehehe...Those eyes...those eyes will be mine."

As Orochimaru approached Sasuke, his curse mark began to activate.

Orochimaru stopped; the transfer was starting to backfire.

"This can't be happening! I created this dimension! There's no way..."

"Orochimaru...against my eyes, your jutsu are...you know the rest." Sasuke said with a superior smirk on his face.

Before the dimension ended, Sasuke saw a man walking up.

This man, also possessed the sharingan.

As he came closer, Sasuke noticed, that it was the same guy he saw when he grabbed the relic.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

He chuckled, then laughed. "Straight to the point I see...very well. My name, is Munashii Herutsu, and I bring you a message of warning Uchiha."

His smile disappeared. "The girl you love, Taiyounami, stay away from her. Failure to follow these words, shall end in your demise by my hands."

"Why do you care what my feelings are for her?"

His smiled appeared again, "She and I, have unfinished business. Unless you and your friends want to die, along with her, you will all leave her."

"Not going to happen. And, if I see you outside this realm, I'll be sure to kill you slowly."

"Big words, we shall see how well you live up to them." he said before he vanished.

Sasuke realized he was back in the real world when Naruto shook him.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Are you in there?"

He rose, "Where's Taiyounami?"

"Over there." Naruto said pointing.

They were back in the western hotel.

Taiyounami was sitting by the window, no doubt still thinking about what she saw.

"We were worried Sasuke." Sakura said.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Well, we saw Orochimaru lunge for you, stop, and drop dead. You stood there for a minute, then fell too. We though something happened and brought you back here for medical attention." Shawn answered.

Sasuke rose and walked to Taiyounami, Munashii's threat still in his mind.

"Taiyounami-"

She turned to look at him, her eyes still showed the disbelief of what he transformed into.

"-do you know who Munashii Herutsu is?"

Her eyes, along with Sarah and Shawn's opened wide.

"Why? What happened?" she asked.

"He said that you and he have some unfinished business."

Taiyounami looked down, truly confused. "Unfinished business?" she asked herself quietly.

"Who is Munashii Herutsu?" Naruto asked.

"Think of Satain with a sense of humor and you have him." Sarah said.

"Sense of humor?" Neji asked.

"Yeah...he makes jokes during a battle as well; they just end with him blasting us away..." Sara concluded.

"So...what's so bad about him?" Naruto asked.

"He's twenty times stronger than the Akatsuki." Sarah said.

"Impossible!" Neji remarked.

"No, it's possible. He could crush every village and organization by himself, whenever he wanted to."

"How?" Sakura asked.

"We don't know. He started off as one the petty criminals we ended up chasing. When we fought him, he wasn't so petty."

Sarah bit her lip.

"Every attack on him, every jutsu we used...he would bat them away like flies. Grandma and Grandpa were with us when we did that. Grandpa resorted to using the Reaper Death Seal on him. He succeeded..."

"So how did he appear?" Sasuke asked.

"That's a question I know we won't like the answer to." she answered.

"So do you think he's the one behind this?"

"It's possible, but it wouldn't make sense for him to do this. He has enough power to plunge this world into darkness, why would he kidnap people so much weaker than he?"

At that moment, they heard screams.

They ran outside and came face to face with a giant snake.

"I thought you killed Orochimaru!" Shawn yelled over the screams.

Naruto saw the sharingan in the snake's eyes.

"It's not Orochimaru, it's Him, Munashii, or whatever he wants to call himself."

The giant snake's head became five.

"Oh...damn..." Sarah sighed.

All five heads charged at their them.


	22. Chapter 22

**_To the Future?_**

The heads stopped, as though they were hit by a forcefield.

Everyone turned around to see a giant...ship with people coming out pointing guns at it.

"What in the name of-" Shawn began.

"Get in the ship! Hurry!" A man wearing a silver uniform told them.

"Commander Jones?" Sarah said baffled.

"There's not much time now get in Sarah!" Commander Jones ordered as armed men poured out the ship and towards the great beast.

Confused, everyone got on the ship, still in disarray.

They felt it rise, then jet off.

"Commander...what are you doing here?" Sarah asked the man in the silver uniform.

"We were able to get info from that oracle lady as to where you all were. Hey," he said looking around at them all, "where's Eve?"

Their stone faces and turned eyes told him everything.

"I see...got her to did he...this makes his eradication even more pressing than ever."

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"Into the future lad." Commander Jones answered.

"The future?!" They all said at once.

"Yeah! You didn't think we were from your time did you?" Sarah said in surprise.

"How far into the future?" Neji asked.

"Oh about a thousand...maybe ten..." Shawn said.

Their mouths dropped.

"Then...you could as well be his granddaughter!" Naruto said pointing at Taiyounami.

"No, my ancestors seperated from yours during the time the Tailed Beasts reaked havoc." Taiyounami said.

"Either way...we need to take you back. We've found some disturbing news from a suspect we just captured." Commander Jones interrupted.

Their ride to the future was frightening; their awe at the majestic city with flying cars and suspended walkways made the commander's chest swell with pride.

They entered a room with a guy bound to a chair by a strange glowing material.

"This little rat is Hector Bogard. We found him yesterday trying to break into our database...with a pen." Commander Jones said holding back laughter at the last part.

"What did he say that made you come and get us?" Taiyounami asked.

"Tell them what you told me." Jones orded Hector.

"I ain't tellin them nothin!" he spat.

Jones pushed a button and shocking sounds along with Hector's screams of pain filled the room.

"Now...tell them." Jones said, alittle more dangerously this time.

Hector looked up and saw his finger headed towards the button again.

"No wait! I'll talk! I'll talk! He wanted me to find files on two people: Taiyounami and Sasuke Uchiha!"

"But Sasuke Uchiha has been dead for thousands of years. Taiyounami Uchiha was killed by her sister Hanone. Why would you want to find files for them?"

"He said...he said that he had a way of getting to both of them before their end, and that I was to get as much information on them as I could!"

"Where and when did he tell you this?"

"It was in a dream. I went to sleep, then I saw him. He said if I didn't do it then either he'd kill me or one of his many followers."

"Followers?"

"Yes...he has eyes and spies everywhere! Faithful servants who want to topple this useless government and establish an empire under one ruler."

"Ah, another one of_ those _villians." Sarah said lazily.

"So, he just wanted you to get as much info on Sasuke and Taiyounami as you could? He said no reason why, just told you to do so?"

Hector shook his head up and down fiercely.

"Okay. Let's go." He motioned for the others to follow.

"So what does this mean?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not sure. For some odd reason he's after you two." He said pointing at Taiyounami and Sasuke.

"I don't see how. He had me once and just let me go." Sasuke said.

"Hmm. Then that means he's waiting for something to happen. He's waiting for just the right moment to strike like the snake he is." Jones said.

There was a beeping sound and Commander Jones looked on the side of his belt.

A small phone was beeping.

He picked it up and answered it.

"Understood. I'll be there right away."

"Okay, I have to go down to the asylum on the other side of town to help question some guy about seeing demons and whatnot. You all should walk about the town and get to know your surroundings; keep a low profile, no use to you guys letting everyone know you're ninjas. That'll attract _unwanted attention._"

They all walked out the building.

"First, we all need a change of clothes." Sarah said looking at everyone and herself."Let's go home and change!"

Their house was a couple of blocks away, and what a large house it was.

"This is practically a mansion!" Ino said.

"No. _That's_ a mansion." Sarah said pointing to an even larger house.

"Alright," Sarah said opening a closet to a huge selection of clothes."Everyone pick something out that doesn't look the least bit stealthy or ninja like. We all have to look like normal teenagers."

"Can we at least carry our weapons?" Tenten asked.

"Oh yeah go ahead. The law here doesn't care so long as you're not harassing people. This is a large and dangerous city, so some civilians carry a weapon or two on them for protection."

The guys chose first because the girls wanted to take their time.

"You're gonna have to come out of that too." Sarah told Taiyounami.

"I know." she replied sadly taking off her kimono.

The guys were done dressing and were waiting in the living room.

Naruto now wore a black bandana with a white t-shirt, blue pants, and white-blue shoes.

Sasuke wore a black tank-top with black pants, black boots, and was wearing a black leather jacket.

Shikamaru wore a black suit,; open jacket.

Choji wore a large white shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes.

Kiba wore a blue shirt with blue pants that had some tears on it for a 'wild' look, and some sandals.

Shino kept the same jacket, but changed his pants to black jeans to look more teenage.

Neji wore a white shirt, pants, and shoes.

Rock Lee wore a green short sleeve with brown shorts and removed both his white tapes and his weights.

Their crash on the floor made the girls in the room jump and Sarah yell, "IF YOU GUYS BREAK MY GLASS TABLE I'LL CUT YOUR THROATS WITH THE SHARDS!!"

Shawn put on a black sweatsuit.

When the girls finally came out, the guys were sitting on the couch watching the news.

Sakura wore a pink shirt with red pants and matching sneakers.

Ino wore a purple shirt with purple shorts and sandals.

Hinata wore a blue sweatsuit.

Tenten wore a ret sweater with white pants and red shoes.

Sarah wore a japanese school girl outfit.

"I'm going for the goody-smart-girl look." she told the staring mass.

Taiyounami came out with a short-sleeve black shirt, tight black jeans, and black sneakers; she didn't look or feel very happy.

"Okay, let's go to the closest restaurant that teens go to at..." Sarah looked outside at the black sky, "about 9 p.m. Any ideas?"

"Let's start with teens don't go to restaurants, we wander around aimlessly." Shawn said.

"Okay...I know! Let's go see Iris and Isis!" Sarah said finally.

"Who's that?" Ino asked.

"You'll see when we get to their place." Sarah said walking to the door.

They left their house and Sarah took a quick survey of the crowd, noticing all the couples.

"Okay you guys, we want to blend in with the crowd. Pick a partner and head in that direction." Sarah said grabbing Choji and walking ahead.

Everyone stood still for a minute.

"Honestly! This isn't a real date! Just grab an arm and move through the mass of couples quickly!"

Taiyounami, tired of standing there, grabbed Sasuke's arm and led him through the crowd.

He caught of glimpse of her face; she still wasn't smiling.

_Guess she went back to her old reason to live._ he concluded.

Sakura, grabbing Shawn and following, also noticed her still perma-frown face.

_Wonder what she's thinking?_ she thought.

(In Taiyounami's mind.) _I've been feeling funny all day..._

Ino went with Shikamaru, Hinata with Naruto, Tenten with Neji.

Rock Lee, Kiba, and Shino stood there for a minute.

"Hey! What about us?" Kiba yelled at them.

"Your dog will do Kiba! Lee and Shino, just come on! Don't want you three getting too friendly!" Sarah yelled back.

They were barely integrated into the crowd when the fireworks started.

They all stopped to look at the display of colorful lights and explosions.

Sasuke noticed one of the fireworks coming down...straight for him and Taiyounami.

She noticed this at the same time he did, and they both jumped out the way before the firework reached them.

"Taiyounami and Sasuke I presume?" A female's voice rang out.

Sasuke and Taiyounami turned to see a pink-haired girl with red eyes wearing white robe next to a large, wrestler built man.

"I guess Munashii wasn't lying, you two are pretty sharp."


End file.
